When California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, vetoed a measure meant to prevent artificial intelligence from aiding bioweapons development or other catastrophic risks, he did so at the urging of an eclectic mix of critics that included members of Congress.
The opposition spanned large tech companies like Google, open-source entities like Mozilla, and eight Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation.
Newsom’s Sept. 29 veto highlights the difficulty in passing AI legislation in the face of competing sets of interests, whether protecting U.S. innovation or the public at large.
