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California Governor Newsom signs landmark AI safety bill SB 53 | TechCrunch
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A notable state-level AI governance milestone in the U.S.; SB 53 is the follow-up to the vetoed SB 1047 and represents California's continued effort to regulate frontier AI developers, relevant to those tracking policy and deployment safety frameworks.
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Summary
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 53 into law, a significant AI safety bill establishing requirements for developers of large AI models operating in California. The legislation focuses on safety testing, incident reporting, and oversight mechanisms for frontier AI systems, marking a major state-level regulatory development after Newsom vetoed the broader SB 1047 in 2024.
Key Points
- •SB 53 requires developers of large AI models to implement safety testing and maintain incident reporting protocols before deployment.
- •The bill establishes a state-level AI oversight framework in California, a key jurisdiction given its concentration of major AI labs.
- •Newsom previously vetoed the more expansive SB 1047 in 2024, making SB 53 a more targeted successor focused on specific safety requirements.
- •The legislation represents a significant step in U.S. subnational AI governance, potentially influencing federal policy and other states.
- •The bill targets frontier/large-scale AI models specifically, distinguishing between general software and high-capability AI systems.
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California Governor Newsom signs landmark AI safety bill SB 53 | TechCrunch
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Government & Policy
California Governor Newsom signs landmark AI safety bill SB 53
Rebecca Bellan
2:57 PM PDT · September 29, 2025
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed SB 53 , a first-in-the-nation bill that sets new transparency requirements on large AI companies.
SB 53, which passed the state legislature two weeks ago, requires large AI labs — including OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google DeepMind — to be transparent about safety protocols. It also ensures whistleblower protections for employees at those companies.
In addition, SB 53 creates a mechanism for AI companies and the public to report potential critical safety incidents to California’s Office of Emergency Services. Companies also have to report incidents related to crimes committed without human oversight, such as cyberattacks, and deceptive behavior by a model that isn’t required under the EU AI Act.
The bill has received mixed reactions from the AI industry. Tech firms have broadly argued that state-level AI policy risks creating a “patchwork of regulation” that would hinder innovation, although Anthropic endorsed the bill . Meta and OpenAI lobbied against it. OpenAI even wrote and published an open letter to Gov. Newsom that discouraged his signing of SB 53.
The new bill comes as some of Silicon Valley’s tech elite have poured hundreds of millions into super PACs to back candidates that support a light-touch approach to AI regulation. Leaders at OpenAI and Meta have in recent weeks launched pro-AI super PACs that aim to back candidates and bills that are friendly to AI.
Still, other states might look to California for inspiration as they attempt to curb the potential harms caused by the unmitigated advancement of such a powerful emerging technology. In New York, a similar bill was passed by state lawmakers and is awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature or veto.
“California has proven that we can establish regulations to protect our communities while also ensuring that the growing AI industry continues to thrive,” Newsom said in a statement. “This legislation strikes that balance. AI is the new frontier in innovation, and California
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