AI Safety Regulation Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk
The recent passage of the RAISE Act by New York lawmakers marks a significant step towards the regulation of AI safety at the state level. This bill, focused on ensuring safety protocols for large language model developers, has sparked controversy within the AI industry, particularly among venture capitalists.
Overview of the RAISE Act
Introduced by Democratic Senator Andrew Gounardes, the RAISE Act requires developers of large AI models to establish and publish comprehensive safety protocols and risk evaluations. This legislation also mandates that companies disclose incidents where their AI models have been compromised or exhibit dangerous behaviors. Noncompliance could lead to civil penalties of up to $30 million, enforced by the New York attorney general.
Criteria for Compliance
The new regulations will specifically apply to companies that utilize more than $100 million in computing resources to train their models, thereby targeting only the largest players in the AI landscape.
Industry Reactions
Responses to the RAISE Act have been largely negative from the venture capital community. Critics argue that this legislation could hinder innovation and progress in the rapidly evolving AI sector. Notably, Andreessen Horowitz General Partner Anjney Midha described the bill as “yet another stupid, stupid state level AI bill” that could stifle the U.S. AI industry while global competitors advance without similar restrictions.
Comparison with Previous Legislation
This bill follows California’s failed attempt to regulate AI safety with SB 1047, which faced backlash for imposing stringent requirements such as the inclusion of a “kill switch” for AI models. Concerns over the potential for civil liability for AI-related harms were pivotal in the bill’s downfall.
The Call for Federal Standards
Industry leaders, including co-founder of Anthropic, Jack Clark, have voiced their concerns about the broad scope of the RAISE Act. Clark suggested that while transparency is essential, a uniform federal standard would be preferable to a patchwork of state regulations.
Concluding Thoughts
The RAISE Act’s journey to the desk of Governor Kathy Hochul is closely watched, as her decision could set a precedent for AI regulation in the United States. As the industry grapples with the implications of this legislation, it remains to be seen whether safeguards will enhance user safety or hinder technological advancement.
