Zayaan Aftab — October 6, 2026
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been contributing to various regulations against AI in the last year, aiming to establish “California as a world leader in safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence”. With AI being a significant driver of Silicon Valley’s wealth and current investments, Newsom’s focus on “responsible and ethical” AI seeks to preserve AI innovation in a way that preserves sustainability.
A year ago, on Sept. 29, 2025, Newsom signed Senate Bill 53, also known as the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act. This bill requires AI companies to fulfill transparency requirements and report any safety incidents regarding AI. Specifically, it requires some AI companies to publish public documents on their plans for AI safety, and establishes a pathway for companies to report safety incidents to California’s Office of Emergency Services. SB 53 seeks to strive a balance between AI innovation and growth alongside public good.
Supporters have argued this is a step in the right direction for AI safety, as it encourages robust AI safety initiatives. Leading AI company Anthropic has endorsed this bill, as they emphasize strong AI regulations. Critics, specifically industry groups, argue this bill fosters a regulatory environment that could block innovation and hinder tech leadership.
SB 53 has sparked stronger lobbying efforts by big tech companies. Many top industry players have instigated lobbying efforts for years against AI regulations, and Meta’s vice president of public policy had announced a new PAC to fight further AI legislation.
Fast forward 11 months later to Newsom’s next significant AI bill. Senate Bill 813 and Assembly Bill 1405 were both signed by September 9th, 2026, and aimed to establish multiple layers of AI safety. Senate Bill 813 aims to establish a “framework for independent audits that can assess AI systems and models for compliance with state law.” On the other hand, Assembly Bill 1405 creates a state registry for AI auditors and establishes respective standards. Both bills are meant to prevent AI companies from being their own judge, and forefronts governmental collaboration for further regulations.
More recently, on September 30th, 2026, Newsom enacted regulations on AI in the workplace. These new laws are meant to prohibit AI surveillance and false positives: they ban the usage of AI to predict employees’ emotional states and prohibit AI surveillance in bathrooms, while mandating companies to notify workers if layoffs were chosen by AI. Many workers have been worried about discrimination risks and privacy concerns by AI, which this bill aims to alleviate. Workplace surveillance measures like heat maps to track movements have been used by companies like Amazon to track the length of bathroom breaks, which was likely a big driver behind this bill.
In the status quo, unions, worker advocates and companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are calling for slower, more regulated AI development. Fears of job losses, existential risks and discrimination are motivating support for further regulation against AI development broadly, which may continue to drive support for legislation. However, opposition by many big tech companies stands strong, so future AI legislation is uncertain, although supported by Newsom.
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