Senate Unanimously Approves Senator Padilla’s Artificial Intelligence Package
SACRAMENTO – Today, the California State Senate passed Senate Bills 892 and 893, authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) with unanimous support. Both measures leverage California’s economic power and position as one of the nation’s largest purchasers of technology services to both develop a public artificial intelligence (AI) resource and the creation of a risk assessment model for the state to implement when procuring automated decision systems (ADS).
“Protecting Californians is a bipartisan issue,” said Senator Padilla. “We cannot wait on Congress to lead while we wait vulnerable to the whims of tech billionaires. Creating an AI resource that works for the public good rather than for a private capitol’s profit margins means we keep the power of the future in the hands of the many, rather than the few.”
Earlier this month, Governor Newsom announced that the state would partner with several companies to create generative AI tools that will allow agencies to provide better services to the public. Senator Padilla’s AI package will allow for the state to assess and correct any risk that these innovations pose while still allowing California to take advantage of the unique partnership with the tech companies that call the state home.
Senator Padilla’s AI measures are a crucial piece of California’s work to remain a center for innovation and a leader in the digital world. Senate Bill 892 requires the Department of Technology to develop and adopt regulations to create an artificial intelligence (AI) risk management standard and then prohibit state agencies, six months after the regulations are adopted, from contracting for an automated decision system (ADS) unless the contract includes a clause that provides a complete risk assessment of the system.
Senate Bill 893 requires the Government Operations Agency (GovOps), the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), and the California Department of Technology (CDT) to collaborate and establish the California Artificial Intelligence Research Hub (Hub). The Hub would then serve as a centralized entity to facilitate collaboration between government agencies, academic institutions, and private sector partners to advance artificial intelligence (AI) research and development.
Shortly after Senator Padilla introduced SB 893 early this year, several states announced similar programs to develop a public hub for AI computing, including New York, where Governor Hochul announced a blend of public and private funding to create “Empire AI”. The federal government has since made available several grants for the development and funding of AI related projects. SB 893 creates the entity capable of requesting the federal dollars bringing further funding for innovation into California.
SB 892 passed by a vote of 37 to 0 and SB 893 passed by a vote of 37 to 0. Both measures now head to the Assembly.
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Steve Padilla represents the 18th Senate District, which includes the communities of Chula Vista, the Coachella Valley, Imperial Beach, the Imperial Valley, National City, and San Diego. Prior to his election to the Senate in 2022, Senator Padilla was the first person of color ever elected to city office in Chula Vista, the first Latino Mayor, and the first openly LGBT person to serve or be elected to city office. Website of Senator Steve Padilla: https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/