SB 1047: California’s Drive for AI Safety and Regulation
In light of the rapid advancement of AI technologies, California, home to the most prominent AI companies, recognized the need to design safety standards for developing, implementing, and using sophisticated AI systems, which resulted in SB 1047.
SB 1047, also known as the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act, seeks to regulate advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models, specifically those with the capacity to cause serious harm, in areas like cybersecurity and autonomous decision-making.
The bill has undergone revisions since its inception, with the most recent version, SB 1047, passing in August 2024. It now focuses mainly on frontier models, which are large-scale AI systems that need substantial training funding (over $100 million) and have the potential to affect critical sectors such as healthcare, finance, and infrastructure.
In response to rising public concern and debates about AI regulation, SB 1047 introduced a number of key measures intended to regulate advanced AI models while also guaranteeing that safety and innovation coexist.
