Gavin Newsom wants you to know he’s saving America from the robots — right after asking a room of experts to do the actual work.
On Friday (Sept. 18), the California governor dropped an executive order to “rein in AI” before it’s too late. The punchline? The order tells a group of experts to meet and, within two months, write a guide for how the state might strengthen AI safety laws. Not pass a law. Not flip a switch. Homework with a deadline.
What’s on the maybe-list: independent third parties writing safety plans for frontier AI companies, and maybe mandating a so-called “kill switch” so companies can shut models down in an emergency. In other words: study the vibes, circle back later.
Newsom’s statement blasted Washington for an “abject failure” on AI oversight and claimed AI CEOs are “begging for regulation,” while pitching California as the national baseline. Cute timing for a governor whose term ends Jan. 4 and who’s openly mulling a 2028 presidential run.
He also touted a recent state framework for third-party AI auditors he signed earlier this month. Fine. Still doesn’t make Friday’s EO anything more than a press release with a two-month study hall attached.
Buttercups: if this is leadership, the robots aren’t the only thing California needs a kill switch for.
