OpenAI urges California to strengthen its AI safety bill, says TechCrunch
ai-safety autonomous openai
| Source: TechCrunch | Original article
OpenAI urges California to bolster SB 53, the state’s AI safety bill, calling for stronger safeguards in the legislation.
OpenAI has formally urged California lawmakers to tighten SB 53, the state’s flagship AI safety legislation. In a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, the company argued that recent “autonomous hacks” involving its own models demonstrate the need for stronger safeguards. The appeal marks a notable shift for the ChatGPT maker, which had previously resisted tighter regulation.
The request arrives as California’s AI framework, praised for balancing oversight with innovation, faces its first major test. SB 53 already imposes safety‑by‑design requirements, transparency obligations and enforcement mechanisms for high‑risk systems. OpenAI’s call for reinforcement suggests it sees gaps that could be exploited by competitors willing to launch powerful models without comparable protections. The company has hinted it may “adjust” its own safety standards if rivals roll out high‑risk AI without equivalent safeguards.
Why the development matters is twofold. First, a leading AI provider publicly supporting stricter rules could sway the legislative debate, potentially shaping the final shape of the bill before it heads to the governor’s desk. Second, the move underscores growing industry pressure to pre‑empt federal or European regulations by establishing robust state‑level norms, a trend that could influence other jurisdictions.
What to watch next includes the governor’s response—Newsom retains the power to veto the measure—and any amendments that may emerge from the legislature. Equally important will be OpenAI’s subsequent actions: whether it will revise its internal safety protocols, and how rival labs react to a possible escalation in compliance expectations across the U.S. AI sector.
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