California Gov. Gavin Newsom is redrawing the rules for how the state does business with artificial intelligence firms—and using the moment to take a swipe at President Trump. Newsom on Monday signed a first-of-its-kind executive order tightening state oversight of AI vendors, saying California will demand tougher safeguards from companies that want government contracts. Firms will need to spell out how they prevent misuse, from illegal content and biased models to violations of civil rights and free speech. "While others in Washington are designing policy and creating contracts in the shadow of misuse, we're focused on doing this the right way," Newsom said, per Courthouse News, in apparent reference to Anthropic's claims that the federal government tried to force it to violate civil rights.
Prioritizing public safety, Newsom's order defies Trump's demands to keep the controversial industry free from "excessive state regulation," per the Guardian. It builds on a state law that took effect Jan. 1 requiring major AI developers to adopt safety frameworks and file transparency reports, directing agencies to craft standards for labeling AI-generated images and altered video. It also expands an online public-engagement tool, Engaged California, statewide to gather input on AI's impact on workers. Newsom said California is prepared to diverge from federal procurement rules to both deploy AI in public services and keep tighter control over how the technology is used. With the right protections, AI can improve services and ensure better transparency and accountability, he said.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
