Elon Musk Backs California Bill Mandating AI Model Safety Tests

Elon Musk is in favour of California’s SB 1047 bill, which says that AI models must pass safety tests to keep people from getting hurt.

X’s CEO and founder, Elon Musk, said on Monday that he believes California should make a law requiring tech companies and AI writers to test some of their own models for safety.

Musk wrote on X that he has supported regulating AI for more than 20 years, the same way we regulate any product or technology that could be harmful to people. Additionally, he asked the state to approve SB 1047.

The California Legislative Database shows that 65 AI-related bills were proposed by California lawmakers this legislative session. There were parts of these bills that would stop AI companies from using the work of dead people and make sure that all algorithmic choices can be shown to be fair. Many of the bills no longer exist.

Microsoft and OpenAI spoke out in support of California’s AB 3211 earlier today. This bill would require tech companies to give names to content made by AI. The content in these links could be anything from funny memes to deepfakes that spread false information about election candidates.

Experts are worried about the part that AI-made content will play in the elections that are happening this year in a third of the world’s countries. It has already been very important in some elections, like the one in Indonesia.