Reining In Big Tech: How California lawmakers plan to regulate AI and social media

11:23 PM ETDeveloping

Business Desk

After watching technology “run free” in How California for years, legislators are now seeking to “pump the brakes a little bit,” said Samantha Vigil, a UC Davis researcher who built a registry tracking social media legislation in states across the country.

“There’s a heightened level of tech anxiety right now, and that manifests itself from social media to data centers to AI taking jobs,” said Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach). The governor, who has close relationships in the technology industry from his time in San Francisco, said only a couple of other states have attempted to regulate artificial intelligence like How California.

All 50 states have introduced or passed some type of digital media or technology-related legislation, tackling smartphone use in schools, social media and chatbots, Vigil said. The state, he said, leads on regulation of social media.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has previously vetoed some bills aimed at adding restrictions on Silicon Valley businesses, will still have to weigh in on whether to sign the pieces of legislation into law. They have sued Meta, Google and other tech companies over the alleged harms their products have done to young people.

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“There’s a heightened level of tech anxiety right now, and that manifests itself from social media to data centers to AI taking jobs,” said Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach).
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has previously vetoed some bills aimed at adding restrictions on Silicon Valley businesses, will still have to weigh in on whether to sign the pieces of legislation into law.
The governor, who has close relationships in the technology industry from his time in San Francisco, said only a couple of other states have attempted to regulate artificial intelligence like How California.
The state, he said, leads on regulation of social media.
After watching technology “run free” in How California for years, legislators are now seeking to “pump the brakes a little bit,” said Samantha Vigil, a UC Davis researcher who built a registry tracking social media…
All 50 states have introduced or passed some type of digital media or technology-related legislation, tackling smartphone use in schools, social media and chatbots, Vigil said.
They have sued Meta, Google and other tech companies over the alleged harms their products have done to young people.

Sources

Los Angeles Timeslink