Elon Musk Backs California AI Safety Bill Despite OpenAI's Opposition

Elon Musk Supports California's AI Safety Bill SB 1047

On August 27, 2023, Elon Musk, CEO of both Tesla and xAI, expressed his support for California's impending AI safety legislation, SB 1047, which aims to enhance regulation in the artificial intelligence sector.

In a post on social platform X, Musk stated, "California should pass SB 1047. It's a tough decision that might frustrate some, but I believe regulatory oversight of AI is necessary, just as we regulate any technology that poses a potential risk to the public."

SB 1047 mandates that large AI models with budgets exceeding $100 million report any intelligence safety issues during their development and submit risk assessment reports. Additionally, the bill will establish a "Frontier Model Division" (FMD) in California to oversee these matters specifically.

The legislation has already been approved by the California Assembly Appropriations Committee and is set to go to the full Assembly for a final vote. If passed, it will be forwarded to Governor Gavin Newsom for his signature, with a deadline for legislative completion by the end of the month.

Musk has frequently warned about the safety risks associated with AI, indicating to legislators in September of last year that without regulation, AI could pose "civilizational risks." However, the bill faces opposition from Musk's competitor, OpenAI, which issued a statement on August 21, cautioning that the legislation could hinder innovation and economic growth in California, advocating instead for regulatory measures at the federal level.

Furthermore, Stanford University professor Fei-Fei Li and former Baidu chief scientist Andrew Ng have also voiced their dissent regarding the bill.