If you’ve read the headlines about California’s proposed bill to impose safeguards for artificial intelligence, you might think it’s a debate between big tech companies and a “slow” government.
One might think that this is a debate between those who would protect technological innovations and those who would prevent them through regulations.
Or you might think this is a debate about whether AI development stays in California or not.
These arguments could not be more wrong.
Let me be clear: Senate Bill 1047 is designed to ensure that the most powerful AI models—those that have the potential to cause catastrophic harm—are developed responsibly. We’re talking about AI systems that could potentially create bioweapons, bring down critical infrastructure, or cause societal-scale harm.
These are not science fiction scenarios. They are real possibilities that require immediate attention.
In fact, the bill is supported by many scientists who invented this field decades ago, including Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton, the so-called “godfathers of AI.”
Critics, particularly from Silicon Valley, argue that any regulation would drive innovation out of California. That argument isn’t just misleading – it’s dangerous. The law only applies to companies spending hundreds of millions on the most advanced AI models. For most startups and researchers, it’s business as usual. They won’t feel any impact from this law.
Fearmongering is nothing new. We’ve seen this kind of pushback many times before. But this time, big tech companies like Google and Meta have already made big promises on the world stage about AI safety. Now that they’re finally facing a bill that would codify those verbal commitments, they’re showing their hand by lobbying against common-sense safety requirements and raising alarms about startups leaving the state.
These exaggerated threats ring hollow: The chances of huge success – especially for startups – are much greater in Silicon Valley than anywhere else in the country.
Some of the fiercest opponents come from the “effective acceleration” wing of Silicon Valley. These tech fanatics dream of a world where AI develops unhindered, regardless of the consequences. They list concepts like sustainability, social responsibility, and ethics as enemies to be defeated. They feverishly dream of a world where technology replaces humans and “ushers in the next evolutionary stage of consciousness, creating unthinkable next-generation life forms and silicon-based consciousness.”
We’ve seen this kind of polarization before, albeit less intensely. Social media companies promised to connect the world, but their uncontrolled growth led to mental health crises, election manipulation, and the erosion of privacy.
We cannot afford to repeat these mistakes with AI. The stakes are simply too high.
Californians understand this. Recent polls show that 66% of voters don’t trust tech companies to prioritize AI safety on their own. Nearly 9 in 10 say it’s important that California develop AI safety regulations, and 82% support the core provisions in SB 1047.
The public overwhelmingly supports measures like SB 1047—it’s just the loud voices of big tech companies trying to drown out the opinion of most Californians.
As a young person, I often feel like I’m wrongly labeled as anti-technology – a Luddite of this century. I completely reject that. I’m a digital native and I see the enormous potential of AI to solve global challenges. I’m deeply optimistic about the future of technology. But I also understand the need for guardrails.
My generation will inherit the world shaped by today’s decisions. We deserve a say in how this technology develops.
For lawmakers and, ultimately, Governor Gavin Newsom, the choice is not between innovation and safety. It is about a future where the benefits of AI are widely shared and one where its harms are disproportionately imposed on vulnerable groups and young people like me.
SB 1047 is a step in that direction: toward a future where California leads not only in technological innovation, but also in ethical innovation.
Sunny Gandhi is Vice President of Policy Affairs at Encode Justice.
