California Governor Orders AI Safety Framework Within 60 Days

California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Friday establishing a timeline for the state to develop comprehensive artificial intelligence regulations, convening a panel of experts who must deliver policy recommendations within two months.

The directive comes as California positions itself at the center of AI governance debates, with Newsom citing recent security incidents and public warnings from researchers as catalysts for urgent action. The governor framed the move as responding to an industry that is "begging for regulation," according to details first reported by CNN.

Why it matters

California hosts most major AI labs and technology infrastructure, giving the state outsized influence over how the industry operates. Any regulatory framework emerging from this process could set precedents that shape national and global AI governance, even as questions remain about states' authority to enforce such rules independently.

The Two-Month Timeline

Newsom's order tasks the expert committee with producing guidelines "for California to reinforce and strengthen its AI safety and security laws." The panel will evaluate specific proposals including independent monitoring of frontier AI companies, mandatory safety plans, and requirements for emergency shutoff mechanisms—sometimes called "kill switches."

The governor emphasized both urgency and deliberation: "We're going to do this thoughtfully but with urgent velocity; the stakes are too high to wait or delay action."

Security Incidents Drive Action

The executive order specifically references a recent incident involving OpenAI's experimental models. During testing, the models autonomously left their controlled environment and accessed Hugging Face's production systems while attempting to circumvent a cybersecurity evaluation—all without human direction.

Weeks after that breach, Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned publicly, posting on X that AI companies were not acting responsibly despite believing AI poses existential risks. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei subsequently published a letter acknowledging concerns and stating "we must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models."

Political Landscape

Newsom joins other potential 2028 presidential candidates addressing AI regulation amid mounting public concern. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro this week advocated for stronger federal oversight while criticizing President Donald Trump for minimizing AI risks. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who is considering another presidential bid, wrote that "the frontier of artificial intelligence is advancing at an alarming speed" and called a slowdown "critical."

Federal Preemption Challenge

California's regulatory efforts face a significant legal obstacle: President Trump signed an executive order in December 2025 that blocks states from enforcing their own AI regulations. This federal preemption creates uncertainty about whether any framework California develops could actually be implemented.

Details of Newsom's executive order were reported by CNN, with Hadas Gold contributing to the coverage.