California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Friday aimed at establishing safeguards for the artificial intelligence sector, which has become a major focal point of technological advancement in the state.
According to a statement released by the governor's office, Newsom has directed a task force to deliver guidelines within two months that propose enhancements to California's AI safety measures and related legal frameworks.
The statement indicated that the task force should consider a range of measures, including requiring companies to develop emergency shutdown mechanisms for frontier models and mandating that independent third parties create safety plans for leading AI firms.
"We are not going to wait. We will accelerate substantive and responsible AI regulation before it's too late," Newsom said. "We will act prudently, but with a sense of urgency; the stakes are too high to delay or postpone action."
The governor's office did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the composition of the task force.