OpenAI Backs 4 California AI Safety Bills as It Presses Congress for National Rules
Updated
Updated · OpenAI · Sep 9
OpenAI Backs 4 California AI Safety Bills as It Presses Congress for National Rules
3 articles · Updated · OpenAI · Sep 9
Summary
Four California bills won OpenAI’s formal backing on Tuesday, adding support for measures on independent safety assessors, AI-auditor standards, youth protections and safeguards against AI-enabled biological threats.
OpenAI said a recent jump in model capabilities forced a rethink, arguing the policy window is closing and that state action should keep moving until Congress adopts mandatory, capability-based national AI safety rules.
The company said some bills it had not previously endorsed now merit support, including SB 813, AB 1405, SB 1119 and AB 1864, all of which have passed the legislature and are headed to Governor Gavin Newsom.
Beyond Sacramento, OpenAI said it will push federal requirements for testing, independent assessments, cybersecurity and incident reporting, while also working with other frontier labs on voluntary monitoring and misalignment-reporting standards.
OpenAI framed the effort as part of a broader shift toward slowing or stopping development when safety bars cannot be met, saying stronger safeguards must increasingly determine the pace of AI progress.