AFTF Statement on SB 1047 Veto

Today, Governor Gavin Newsom correctly vetoed SB 1047 – a dangerous piece of legislation that risked harming American AI research, economic growth, cost of living, and geopolitical advantage over China.

As House Science Democrats wrote, “SB 1047 is skewed towards addressing extreme misuse scenarios and hypothetical existential risks while largely ignoring demonstrable AI risks”. By vetoing this bill, Governor Newsom protected California’s competitive AI startup ecosystem, world-class academic institutions, and independent open-source researchers worldwide.

As one of the earliest leaders of the anti-SB 1047 movement, I was surprised at how far and wide our coalition grew. First, an organic coalition of academics, open source researchers, and startup founders rose up to sign letters of opposition. Momentum picked up as Democrats with an eye on national prosperity and national security stepped up: Representative Lofgren, the Ranking Member of the House Science Committee, led the charge with evidence-based criticism of SB 1047. Soon, the coalition grew to include House Science Democrats and eventually Speaker Emerita Pelosi. It is a bipartisan coalition, with Republican Representative Obernolte also calling on Newsom to veto SB 1047.

The lesson of the story: Even in our divided country, it is possible to put aside partisan politics to grow the pie for everyone.

Thank you, Governor Newsom!

Brian Chau

Executive Director, Alliance for the Future