Hollywood is coming out in force for California’s AI safety bill

Hollywood is squaring off against Silicon Valley in the battle over SB 1047, California’s first-of-its-kind AI safety bill. Amid doubts about whether Governor Gavin Newsom will sign the legislation, a wave of star-studded endorsements mark the first organized celebrity effort to advance AI regulations beyond the direct interests of the entertainment industry. 

On Tuesday, over 125 big Hollywood names published an open letter urging Newsom to sign the AI safety bill. Signatures include Ava DuVernay, Jane Fonda, J.J. Abrams, Shonda Rhimes, Alec Baldwin, Pedro Pascal, Jessica Chastain, Adam McKay, and Ron Perlman. “We fully believe in the dazzling potential of AI to be used for good. But we must also be realistic about the risks,” the letter reads. In a sign of genuine enthusiasm, the letter was written by one of the signatories, according to a person in contact with the celebrities. 

SB 1047 is the US’s most significant AI safety legislation to date, and Newsom’s signature would break the precedent of letting the industry police the development and deployment of its most powerful models via voluntary commitments. The core of the bill mandates that the largest AI developers implement safeguards of their own choosing to reduce the chance their model causes or enables a disaster, like a severe cyberattack or pandemic. It would apply to any covered AI company doing business in California, which is home to the top five generative AI companies and the world’s fifth-largest economy. This makes it a de facto national regulation in a country that has trailed the EU, China, and the UK in efforts to regulate AI. 

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