Elon Musk has unexpectedly backed a high-profile California bill that would regulate artificial intelligence technology, including his own startup company, xAI.
The billionaire owner of Tesla and X voiced his support for California's SB 1047 bill on Monday night, but several of his larger industry rivals remain opposed.
The bill would establish safety standards for AI models that cost more than $100 million to train, require safety testing of so-called “frontier” AI models before they are released, and establish other guardrails.
Elon Musk on Monday night set himself apart from his industry peers by announcing his support for California's AI safety bill. Reuters
“This is a difficult call and it will anger some people, but all things considered, I think California should probably pass SB 1047, the AI Safety Bill,” Musk wrote on X. “For over 20 years, I have advocated for regulating AI, just as we do for any product or technology that poses a potential risk to the public.”
xAI, home of the Grok chatbot, is likely to be subject to the law even after Musk revealed plans to move the headquarters of his company, X, and SpaceX from California to Texas.
Microsoft-backed OpenAI has voiced support for another California AI bill, AB 3211, which would require tech companies to label AI-generated content.
The “Watermark” bill comes as experts express concern about the role AI may play in the upcoming U.S. presidential election and other votes around the world.
This is a tough call, and it will upset some people, but all things considered, I think California should probably pass SB 1047, the AI Safety Bill.
For more than 20 years, I have advocated for regulating AI, just as we do for any product or technology that poses a potential risk.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2024
Already, former President Donald Trump has come under fire for sharing an AI-generated image that falsely portrayed pop star Taylor Swift and her fans, known as “Swifties,” as supporting him.
Musk's own X updated its AI chatbot “Grok” after secretaries of state and others accused the bot of spreading election misinformation.
Currently, when users ask the bot a question about the upcoming election, Grok directs them to Vote.org.
Musk's support for California's AI bill comes as a surprise, as he has been a vocal critic of Governor Gavin Newsom's (above) policies. Reuters
X has not responded to complaints about the bots' ability to create and spread misleading AI-generated images.
Musk's support for the bill comes as a surprise, as he has been a vocal critic of California policy, particularly the state's recently passed student gender identity law.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law in July banning school policies requiring teachers to “come out” transgender students to parents, in a move Musk called the “final straw.”
The tech billionaire claimed that gender identity laws were what prompted him to move SpaceX's headquarters out of California.
