The state of California has entered the frenzied and at times confusing race among governments around the world to both regulate and harness the technology known as generative artificial intelligence.
On Wednesday morning, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-12-23, a 2,500-word directive that instructs state agencies to examine how AI might threaten the security and privacy of California residents, while also authorizing state employees to experiment with AI tools and try integrating them into the state’s operations.
Generative AI "is a new technology and requires a new class of responsibility,” Newsom said in an interview. "There’s a Pandora’s box being opened here, and we just want it done in a safe way.