A recent California bill that had backing from SAG-AFTRA that aimed to regulate AI was vetoed on Sunday September 29th 2024 by current California Governer Gavin Newsom. The bill named SB 1047 was heavily contested by both sides of the party line regarding its potential effectiveness.

The side arguing for the bill to pass, including the SAG-AFTRA organizations, multiple activist groups, A-List actors and other film and creative companies. This side argued that the bill’s failure to pass endangered the public by allowing AI to be used to develop chemicals and weapons something that AI companies argued was not within the current AI’s abilities. Letters were sent to Gov. Newsom urging him to sign the bill. This was noted that the threat of creative based human jobs being moved to AI was not brought up in the letter.

While SB 1047 may have been vetoed a different bill was signed into law by Gov. Newsom. AB 2013 has made it legal that AI companies are required to disclose whether or not they are using copyright-protected material to train their AIs. Something that weighs in the current Copyright cases multiple AI companies are facing regarding their acquiring of the material used to train the current models. AB 2013 protects copyrighted art but its effects also extends to ‘personal data’.

Gov. Newsom replied to to the press regarding SB 1047, “I do not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats posed by the technology,” he wrote. “Ultimately, any framework for effectively regulating Al needs to keep pace with the technology itself.” implying that legislation will continue to work to find the best way to regulate AI.