Elon Musk has made a surprising "difficult decision" to support a bill that introduces more artificial intelligence safeguards in California. Many others in the industry strongly oppose this.

The Senate Bill 1047 would require creators of large-scale artificial intelligence models to establish safeguards and prevent "significant harm" to humans.

This means preventing artificial intelligence disasters such as weapon manufacturing or launching large-scale cyber attacks. Creators will also be held responsible for losses exceeding $500 million.

What does Elon Musk think of this bill?

"It's a difficult decision that may upset some people, but all things considered, I believe California should pass the SB 1047 Artificial Intelligence Safety Act," he posted on X.

"I have been an advocate for artificial intelligence regulation for over twenty years, just as we regulate any product/technology that may pose risks to the public."

This bill will apply to Musk's own artificial intelligence company, xAI. Despite Musk's expressed desire to move the business to Texas, its headquarters remains in California.

Different opinions on SB 1047

One of xAI's competitors, OpenAI, opposes SB 1047. Its Chief Strategy Officer, Jason Kwon, wrote in a letter that the bill threatens the development of artificial intelligence and called for federal policies to be established.

"A series of federally-driven artificial intelligence policies, rather than a patchwork of state laws, will promote innovation and position the United States as a leader in global standards," he wrote last week.

Another artificial intelligence giant, Anthropic, has proposed multiple amendments to the bill, which have been accepted. This means that the company will not be sued for negligence if a disaster has not yet occurred.

SB 1047 passed the state Senate with 32 votes in favor and 1 vote against, and will be voted on in the state Assembly before the weekend. If the bill passes this stage, it will be signed or vetoed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in September.