On Wednesday, three artificial intelligence technology (AI) bills were introduced to the California State Senate in responses to the growth of the industry.
Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) introduced the California AI Accountability Act to ensure state agencies advance safeguards and consumer protections. The bill incorporates and builds upon recent AI directives from President Joe Biden and Gov. Gavin Newsom and seeks to encourage continued innovation while ensuring the rights and opportunities of all Californians are protected.
“By now we all recognize the tremendous capability of artificial intelligence to improve our lives and the functioning of government,” Sen. Dodd said. “But we also see its potential downsides — specifically, the threat to consumer privacy, transparency and fairness. My proposal will help identify the risks of these emerging systems and develop appropriate guidelines to protect our state and the public.”
Sen. Dodd’s proposed California AI Accountability Act (SB 896) will guide the decision-making of state agencies, departments and subdivisions in the review, adoption, management, governance and regulations of automated decision-making technologies. One provision in the bill would require state agencies to notify users when they are interacting with AI. Further, it states the intent of the Legislature that the private sector adhere to these rights and safeguards, in addition to any specific statutory or regulatory requirements, and evolving best practices. And the act encourages the state to invest in AI education and build AI competency in the state’s workforce.
The bill is a follow-up to Sen. Dodd’s Senate Concurrent Resolution 17, adopted last year, which sets forth many of the ideas and was the first AI-drafted state resolution in history.
Meanwhile, Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) introduced Senate Bills 892 and 893, measures designed to leverage California’s economic power to both develop a public artificial intelligence (AI) resource and the creation of a safe and ethical framework for AI service providers contracting with the state, one of the nation’s largest purchasers of technology services.
- Senate Bill 892 requires the Department of Technology to establish safety, privacy, and nondiscrimination standards relating to artificial intelligence services and then, starting August 1, 2025, prohibits the state from entering into any contract for AI services unless the provider of the services meets the established standards.
- SB 893 requires the Government Operations Agency (GovOps), the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (Go-Biz), and the Department of Technology, to collaborate with academic institutions across the state in establishing the California Artificial Intelligence Research Hub. The Hub will further the research, development, deployment, and application of AI technology for public good by facilitating access to computing resources and data for academic institutions while safeguarding privacy, advancing security and addressing risks and potential risks to society.
“AI holds both enormous promise and challenges for our economy and society,” said Senator Padilla. “Trusting tech titans to act responsibly, we completely abdicated our responsibility to create safeguards for social media and are now paying the price. We cannot repeat that disaster by allowing a handful of tech billionaires to operate AI without oversight, accountability, or restraint.”
The 2023 White House Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, in addition to recent executive guidance from Gov. Newsom, establish a framework for addressing concerns including AI-driven algorithms that discriminate against people based on income levels or race, and the effects of automated machines on our workforce. Additionally, the president and governor have underscored threats posed by AI to data and consumer privacy, and the potential for misusing the technology to deceive and defraud.
Previous Stories:
- Dec 20 – Sen. Dodd: New Laws Taking Effect in 2024
- Jan 13, 2023: Sen. Dodd Introduces AI Resolution in CA Legislature
