California Governor Plans Tougher Action on AI Safety

California Governor Gavin Newsom has told Politico he plans to take additional action on artificial intelligence safety before his term as governor ends. The announcement comes amid growing concern over the potential risks the technology could pose to humanity.

Newsom said one option under consideration is calling a special session of the California legislature, which would allow lawmakers to focus specifically on AI regulation outside the state's regular legislative calendar.

Besides the legislative route, the governor also mentioned other possible avenues, including issuing an executive action or having state agencies take steps on their own. This suggests Newsom is not committing to a single tool but is weighing several parallel paths toward tighter oversight of AI in California.

Newsom directly linked his intentions to escalating concerns about the risks artificial intelligence could pose to society and to humanity more broadly. He has not yet announced specific measures or a timeline for implementing them — for now, he has outlined several possible scenarios rather than a final decision.

The governor indicated that a decision on which approach to pursue — legislation, an executive order, or agency action — will come later, but that some form of action is expected before he leaves office.

Newsom's remarks suggest AI safety has become a priority issue he wants to address before his tenure as governor concludes, reflecting how concerns about the technology's risks have gained increasing weight in policy discussions.