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Newsom Orders Frontier AI “Kill Switch” Safety Rules Within Two Months

By Drooid · Sep 20, 2026, 2:02 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Governor Gavin Newsom signed an order directing a working group to draft AI safety guidelines within two months on September 18, 2026.
The order requires a “kill switch” and independent third-party safety plans for frontier AI models.
Newsom said federal inaction forced California to act urgently, accelerating two state AI auditing statutes.
He also signed AB 2319, a $10 million tax credit extending post-production incentives to editing projects located in California.

History

Historical Context

After the EU adopted the GDPR on 14 April 2016 and it took effect on 25 May 2018, member states began imposing fines up to €20 million or 4 % of global turnover, prompting the Brussels effect that spread privacy rules to California’s CCPA (signed 28 June 2018) and other jurisdictions. In September 2026 Governor Gavin Newsom launched a statewide AI-safety task force, echoing the same pre-emptive regulatory approach.

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Story summary

Governor Gavin Newsom signed an order directing a working group to draft AI safety guidelines within two months on September 18, 2026.
The order requires a “kill switch” and independent third-party safety plans for frontier AI models.
Newsom said federal inaction forced California to act urgently, accelerating two state AI auditing statutes.
He also signed AB 2319, a $10 million tax credit extending post-production incentives to editing projects located in California.

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