California has set a new precedent by becoming the first state to demand AI safety transparency from leading industry labs. This week, Governor Newsom enacted SB 53, a law that obligates major AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic to reveal and adhere to their safety measures. The move has already ignited discussions about whether other states might implement similar regulations.
Adam Billen, who serves as Encode AI’s vice president of public policy, appeared on Equity to clarify the implications of California’s AI transparency legislation — covering everything from protections for whistleblowers to mandatory safety incident disclosures. He further discusses why SB 53 passed while SB 1047 did not, what “transparency without liability” actually entails, and what additional AI-related measures are still awaiting Governor Newsom’s decision, such as regulations for AI-powered chatbots.
Equity is the main podcast from TechCrunch, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, with new episodes released every Wednesday and Friday.