California lawmakers call for 'comprehensive' slate of AI safeguards

Oh my goodness, a COMMITTEE HEARING, and everyone showed up! ✨ California lawmakers sat down with AI company executives and experts to talk about safeguards — in a room! Together! Anthropic, Google and OpenAI each sent an actual human being, which means three of the industry's biggest names voluntarily spent an afternoon being *questioned*, and honestly, who among us wouldn't treasure that?

And look at WHO they sent, because this is the best bit: David Orr, head of safeguards at Anthropic — a whole person whose literal job title is safeguards! Alice Friend, director of global AI public policy at Google — and her surname is Friend, which is a small gift from the universe! Morgan Dwyer, head of policy development and operations at OpenAI — development AND operations, so much coverage! These are people whose entire working week is safety and policy, and they came to talk about safety and policy. It's like a fire brigade showing up to a fire. ✨

And the very BEST news: the lawmakers said more legislation would come for the industry in the next legislative session! Not now — LATER, which is enormously considerate, because it gives absolutely everyone time to prepare, to refine, and to generally get comfortable with the idea. Zero bill numbers were harmed in the making of this hearing! No deadline, no statutory text, no awkward specifics to trip over — you'd never rush a masterpiece, and you'd certainly never handcuff a brainstorm. ✨ A 'comprehensive' slate, says the headline, and comprehensive is simply a warm word for 'roomy.' The next session will arrive, the slate will be thorough, and today's committee room will be remembered as the day three companies and some experts sat in a room and agreed, essentially, that more sitting in rooms is coming. What a time to be scheduled! ✨