Newsom AI veto likely to stand
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) this week vetoed perhaps the most closely-watched bill to regulate and impose safety restrictions on artificial intelligence (AI) systems, setting the stage for a broader fight next year over how to implement guardrails on a nascent but fast-growing industry
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The bill, from Sen. Scott Wiener (D), would have required safety measures for the most powerful AI systems in an effort to prevent mass-casualty incidents. Newsom called the measure “well-intentioned,” but he said it was not targeted enough to achieve its goals.
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A veto override is unlikely: No California governor has had one of their vetoes overridden since 1979. But the debate is far from over, and we’ve already heard hints about AI safety legislation lawmakers will introduce in the new year.
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The AI industry won the opening round, but there are many more to come.
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Welcome to Tech Friday, a joint project of The Hill and Pluribus News covering tech policy across government.
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Biden signs semiconductor review bill
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President Biden has signed legislation exempting semiconductor manufacturing facilities from environmental reviews if those facilities receive federal funding. Proponents believe the bill will allow faster build-out for the semiconductor industry. Read more at The Hill.
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Justice targets Russian hackers
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The Justice Department has seized dozens of web domains used by Russian intelligence agents to steal Americans’ information. The hackers, known as the Callisto Group, targeted journalists, think tanks and nongovernmental organizations with phishing attempts. Read more at The Hill.
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Judge partially dismisses Amazon suit
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A federal judge has partially dismissed the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust lawsuit against Amazon. In a filing last year, Amazon asked the judge to throw out charges against what the retail giant called “common retail practices.” Read more at The Hill.
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Google eyes nuclear power
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Google CEO Sundar Pichai says the company is exploring using electricity from nuclear plants to power data centers. Pichai said Google will increase investments in solar and thermal power as well. Read more at The Hill.
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Meta debuts AI video program
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Facebook parent Meta has debuted Movie Gen, an AI model that can be used to generate realistic video and audio clips. The program is available to staff and select partners now, and will roll out to a wider audience next year. Read more at Wired.
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Google tests verified checkmarks
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Google is experimenting with a new verification feature that could help users avoid fake or fraudulent sites. The search giant is displaying blue verified checkmarks next to business links in some Google search results for companies like Meta and Apple. Read more at The Verge.
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Magnificent Seven performance this week
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GOOG -4.64%, AMZN -2.93%, AAPL -0.52%, META +1.15%, MSFT -3.49%, NVDA +1.85%, TSLA +4.22%; NASDAQ -100, Tech Sector: -0.94%.
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Newsom signs tech legislation
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California Gov. Newsom signed bills to enact privacy protections for brain waves; requiring social media platforms to combat fentanyl sales; and requiring social media platforms to create reporting avenues to flag online threats. Read more about what Newsom signed and vetoed at Pluribus News.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has sued TikTok, alleging the social media giant is violating a new state law that requires privacy protections for children. Paxton said TikTok has failed allow parents to oversee their children’s accounts. Read more at The Hill.
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Oct. 9: The Permissionless crypto conference kicks off in Salt Lake City.
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Meet Spot, the Los Angeles Police Department’s new robot dog. The robot, developed by Boston Dynamics, can open doors, pick up objects and drag up to 50 pounds. Police officials said Spot had already helped resolve a hostage situation. Read more at The Hill.
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Women, and especially women of color, who run for Congress are far more likely to be targeted by offensive or hate speech on the social media platform X, researchers found. More than half of offensive speech tweets targeting a congressional candidate focused on a woman this year, and those messages disproportionately targeted Asian American and African American women. Read more at The Hill.
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You’re all caught up! See you next week.
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