California has made history by becoming the first state to require artificial intelligence safety and transparency from the largest labs in the industry. Governor Newsom signed SB 53 into law this week. The new law mandates that major AI companies, such as OpenAI and Anthropic, must disclose their safety protocols and adhere to them.
This decision is already generating debate about whether other states will enact similar legislation. Adam Billen, the vice president of public policy at Encode AI, discussed the implications of the new law. He detailed what California’s AI transparency rules mean in practice, covering areas like whistleblower protections and safety incident reporting requirements.
He also explained why SB 53 was successful after a previous bill, SB 1047, failed to become law. The conversation included the practical application of transparency without liability and what other regulations are still under consideration by Governor Newsom. This includes potential rules governing AI companion chatbots.