California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order imposing new standards for AI companies to do business with the state. In an official press release, Newsom said that the order aims to ensure that companies meet strong standards and demonstrate responsible policies that prevent misuse of their technology, while protecting users’ safety and privacy.
“Unlike the Trump administration, California remains committed to ensuring that AI solutions adopted and deployed by the largest state in the nation and 4th largest economy in the world cannot be misused by bad actors seeking to exploit their users’ data, subvert their security, and violate their civil rights,” it said.As part of the executive order, Newsom has directed the government operations agency to develop a plan for new state contracting processes and best practices that vet companies based in part on how they attest and explain their policies and safeguards to protect the public from the following with regard to their technology:
Exploitation or distribution of illegal content
- Models that display bias or lack technology to prevent such bias
- Violations of civil rights and free speech
The order further directs the California Department of Technology to create recommendations and best practices for watermarking AI-generated images or manipulated video consistent with state law — the first of its kind nationwide.In an official statement, Governor Gavin Newsom said “California’s always been the birthplace of innovation. But we also understand the flip side: in the wrong hands, innovation can be misused in ways that put people at risk. California leads in AI, and we’re going to use every tool we have to ensure companies protect people’s rights, not exploit them or put them in harm’s way. While others in Washington are designing policy and creating contracts in the shadow of misuse, we’re focused on doing this the right way.
”
