Elon Musk expresses his backing for comprehensive regulations on AI safety.

Musk voiced his endorsement for AI regulation, saying, We ought to regulate it like we do with any product or technology that could pose a risk to the public.

Rules governing the space of artificial intelligence:

In February, Democratic lawmakers introduced California's "Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act," also referred to as SB 1047. This legislation mandates that AI developers establish safety protocols to avert incidents like mass casualties or significant cyberattacks, and it requires the inclusion of an "emergency stop" button for AI systems.

However, the proposed bill has faced considerable backlash from many in Silicon Valley. Guillaume Verdon, a prominent figure in Big Tech's 'e/acc' movement, founder of the stealth AI startup Extropic, and a former Google engineer, expressed concerns that while AI can be immensely powerful, the prospect of an authoritarian government exerting control over such technology is far more alarming. He stated, “It sets a terrible precedent at the national level and could pave the way for government lawfare against companies that refuse to provide government LLM backdoors.”

On August 21, Jason Kwon, OpenAI's chief strategy officer, cautioned that the legislation could hinder innovation and push talent out of California.

The bill has also encountered resistance from notable figures such as Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Zoe Lofgren, the ranking member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Silicon Valley Representative Ro Khanna, as well as venture capital and tech giants like Andreessen Horowitz and Meta.

Verdon likened the current situation to the recent arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, highlighting the potential threats to free speech and decentralization, stating it’s “similar to the Telegram situation but for AI.”