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California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed SB 1047, the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Models Act. In a letter to lawmakers, he contends that it “establishes a regulatory framework that might give the public a false sense of security regarding controlling this rapidly evolving technology.”

“I don’t believe this is the most suitable approach for safeguarding the public from the real threats posed by the technology,” he writes. SB 1047 would have mandated that a developer, before commencing the initial training of a covered model, comply with various requirements, including the ability to promptly enact a full shutdown and implement a written and separate safety and security protocol.

However, Newsom points out that 32 of the top 50 AI companies are based in California, and the bill would focus solely on the largest firms. “Smaller, specialized models could emerge as equally or even more dangerous than those targeted by SB 1047,” he asserts. “While well-intentioned, SB 1047 fails to take into account whether an AI system is deployed in high-risk environments, involves critical decision-making, or uses sensitive data. Instead, the bill imposes strict standards on even the most basic functions, as long as a large system employs them.”

SB 1047 sparked intense debate within the AI industry as it made its way through the legislature. OpenAI vehemently opposed the measure, leading researchers William Saunders and Daniel Kokotajlo to publicly resign in protest. Meanwhile, xAI CEO Elon Musk voiced his support for the bill. Many in Hollywood also showed their backing for SB 1047, including J.J. Abrams, Jane Fonda, Pedro Pascal, Shonda Rhimes, and Mark Hamill.

“We cannot afford to wait for a major catastrophe to occur before taking action to protect the public. California will not shirk its responsibility. Safety protocols must be adopted. Proactive safeguards should be implemented, and clear and enforceable consequences for bad actors must be established,” Newsom writes. “Ultimately, any framework for effectively regulating AI needs to keep pace with the technology itself.”

The Monday announcement comes less than a month after the governor signed AB 2602 and AB 1836, which are backed by the SAG-AFTRA union. AB 2602 requires performers to grant informed consent before using their “digital replicas,” while AB 1836 strengthens protections against the unauthorized use of the voice and likeness of deceased performers.