On Monday, Elon Musk added his support for a controversial new bill in California, a state and government that he has often criticized for unjust policies. The polarizing new bill will create massive changes to the artificial intelligence industry and would require large-scale testing models to undergo safety testing.
Musk said that the decision to support the rule was a “tough call and will probably make some people upset,” but that he thinks it should pass.
Senate Bill 1047
The bill has been criticized by other tech gurus in California, like Marc Andreesen, the creator of OpenAI.
He says that Senate Bill 1047 is too vague and would create burdensome regulations that would have a downward effect on open-sourced models.
The Author of the Bill
Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener, the bill’s author, says the government must intervene to prevent potential catastrophic harm to humanity.
He also accuses large tech companies of allowing bad actors to potentially use AI to develop biological weapons, deep fake videos, and harmful content.
Musk Shows Support on X
In a post on the social media platform X, also owned by Musk, he stated that his support for the bill was a “tough call and will probably make some people upset,” but ultimately thinks that the bill should pass.
The endorsement of the bill comes at a critical time during the legislature’s tenure. To pass, the bill needs to be on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk by the end of the week.
AI Regulation
In the past few decades, Musk has been at the forefront of several technological innovations, including electric vehicles with his company, Tesla, space travel with SpaceX, and wireless internet with Starlink.
“For over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk to the public,” he wrote.
Artificial Intelligence on X
Musk bought out Twitter in October of 2022 and promptly renamed the company to X to suit his personal brand.
He previously led the way with artificial intelligence labs to create super powerful language model learning systems that embrace AI. X recently launched a tool called Grok.
Issues with Grok
Although Musk has spearheaded the AI revolution, there have been several problems with the AI tool on X.
Initially created to create and post user-generated images based on text prompts, it has been criticized for spreading misinformation and allowing deep fakes to flood social media platforms.
The Downside of AI
Although artificial intelligence has been hailed as the future, there are a few glaring issues with the new technology. Namely, at a certain point, it needs to be controlled, just like any other invention.
The fears surrounding the use of AI follow that people could use it for nefarious reasons, such as creating deep fakes of celebrities or politicians to spread fake news, creating fake porn of real people, or using it to create bombs or other harmful weapons.
The Bill Creates Safety Mechanisms for AI
The proposed bill aims to create several safety measures for a company creating a new AI tool. These measures would need to be in place, such as a full shutdown capability, compliance with government rules, and implementation of certain safety protocols.
Creators of future AI tools would need to submit a full-covered model to the Attorney General along with a statement of compliance with the provisions.
Musk Is Often At Odds With California Government
In the past, Musk has often been at odds with the California government.
In recent months, he has vowed to leave the state and bring his companies with him to Texas over a recent law meant to protect transgender youth in schools.
Silicon Valley Is Not Happy
The endorsement also puts Musk at odds with other Silicon Valley execs, who have renounced the bill as a way for the government to stifle innovation.
Nancy Pelosi has been an outspoken critic of the bill and thinks that, “AI springs from California. We must have legislation that is a model for the nation and the world. We have the opportunity and responsibility to enable small entrepreneurs and academia – not big tech – to dominate.”
Unintended Consequences of the Bill
If the bill passes in the Golden State, massive tech companies with headquarters in Silicon Valley could move to other states.
For now, many lawmakers and tech enthusiasts are in agreement that AI needs some regulation to help control the potential flood of misinformation and harmful data.
