California Gov. Gavin Newsom issues executive order to strengthen AI safety oversight

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday issued an executive order aimed at addressing the potential dangers related to artificial intelligence.

Newsom is part of a group of 2028 Democratic presidential hopefuls who have urged a more aggressive regulatory approach to the rapidly evolving technology, after a researcher at Anthropic resigned and warned of AI's potentially humanity-ending capabilities in a social media post earlier this month.

The post set off a frenzy in Washington, D.C., as lawmakers grapple with how to establish guardrails for AI. But Congress appears unlikely to take any meaningful legislative action on AI fears before the 2026 midterm elections, and President Donald Trump has so far resisted calls for regulation.

“The federal government’s abject failure to create any form of meaningful AI oversight or accountability should alarm every American, especially when AI CEOs themselves are begging for regulation," Newsom said in a statement on Friday.

“We're not waiting to act – we’re going to speed up our work on substantial and responsible AI oversight before it's too late. We’re going to do this thoughtfully but with urgent velocity; the stakes are too high to wait or delay action," Newsom continued.

The order calls on a group of experts to meet and create, within two months, a guide for the state to strengthen its AI safety and security laws. Those enhanced laws may include a requirement for independent third parties to write safety plans for frontier AI companies, or mandating that companies develop a "kill switch" to shut down their models in case of emergency, according to an announcement from Newsom's office.

While Trump has called fears of AI safety a "hoax," Democrats have largely rallied around calls for stricter regulations. And those with presidential ambitions have been among the loudest voices in recent weeks.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has similarly called for "third-party" oversight of frontier models and stricter guardrails. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., told Politico he's introducing legislation to crate a fund paid for by AI companies that would support workers displaced by the technology. And Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., urged Trump to convene a special session of Congress to address AI risks.

Newsom, whose term as California governor ends on Jan. 4, has not announced a presidential campaign, though he has said he is mulling the possibility.

In his announcement of the executive order, Newsom touted laws already in effect in the state, including one he signed earlier this month that creates a framework for third-party AI auditors.

"While Washington abdicates its responsibility to protect Americans, California is building on the strongest AI regulatory framework in the nation," Newsom said. "California has already built a national model, and our policy should be the national baseline."