Newsom signs executive order for study of AI and potential benefits, dangers for California

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GOVERNOR SIGNS AI ORDER

Gov. Gavin Newsom says he wants to prepare California for the age of AI.

He announced Wednesday that he has signed an executive order for a study of generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI, which has been popularized recently with offerings such as ChatGPT and Midjourney.

The governor called GenAI a “potentially transformative technology,” akin to the creation of the internet, that California is at the forefront of developing.

“We’re neither frozen by the fears nor hypnotized by the upside. We’re taking a clear-eyed, humble approach to this world-changing technology,” Newsom said in a statement.

Newsom’s order calls for the responsible and ethical use of GenAI in state government, and directs departments to report on its potential uses and risks. He said the study will engage the Legislature and “key stakeholders” to develop policy recommendations.

CALIFORNIA COULD SOON DECRIMINALIZE CERTAIN PSYCHEDELICS

A bill to decriminalize a narrow selection of naturally occurring psychedelics moved one big step closer to becoming law Wednesday, when the Assembly voted 41-11 to pass SB 58.

If it becomes law, the measure would remove criminal penalties for possessing up to four grams of mescaline, one gram of DMT, one gram of psilocybin or one gram of psilocyn, provided you are 21 or older, beginning on Jan. 1, 2025. They remain illegal under federal law.

The bill returns to the Senate for a concurrence vote, where it previously passed 21-16. Then it goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for a signature or veto.

SB 58 author Sen. Scott Wiener said in a statement, “California’s veterans, first responders, and others struggling with PTSD, depression, and addiction deserve access to these promising plant medicines.”

On the Assembly floor, the bill was championed by Assemblymembers Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City; Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach; and Bill Essayli, R-Corona — the latter was one of a handful of Republicans to vote for the bill.

One Democrat, Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains of Bakersfield, voted no.

Speaking for the bill, Wilson pointed out that “California is not breaking new ground by passing this bill,” alluding to the fact that California would be following Oregon and Colorado in decriminalizing certain psychedelics.

The bill has drawn opposition, not only from law enforcement groups but also from the Coalition for Psychedelic Safety and Education, formed by a group of mothers whose children died in accidents related to psychedelic use.

The group is urging lawmakers to go a different route with decriminalization.

“We’re not opposed to decriminalization itself, we are pro-safety,” said attorney Beth Parker of the coalition. “There should be guardrails in place. If we require warning labels and instructions on a bottle of aspirin, surely we should require basic education and safety planning before giving a green light to substances that cause hallucinations, distorted thinking, and detachment from reality.”

Wiener, in a statement, said that the bill “has prudent safeguards in place after we incorporated feedback from three years of deep engagement with a broad array of stakeholders.”

SB 403 SUPPORTERS LAUNCH HUNGER STRIKE TILL BILL IS SIGNED

Via Jenavieve Hatch...

Members of the Californians for Caste Equity coalition will go on hunger strike until Newsom signs SB 403, Sen. Aisha Wahab’s civil rights bill that would ban discrimination on the basis of caste, into law.

”As a Californian who has endured caste my whole life, I know the struggles and adversity caste-oppressed Californians have unjustly faced firsthand,” said Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Executive Director of Equality Labs, the nation’s leading Dalit civil rights organization.

”Caste-oppressed people have organized for over twenty years so we could have lives free from violent attacks and discrimination.” “I am fasting as a reminder of how important this bill is to my two daughters,” said Dr. Nirmal Singh, a lead organizer. “I cannot live in this state knowing that caste discrimination can continue unabated. We fast now for all those who have not been able to speak out.”

SB 403, the first statewide bill to address caste discrimination, passed through the State Legislature on Tuesday with a 31-5 vote in the Senate. While Wahab’s bill received broad bipartisan support, it sparked a recall effort largely supported by Hindu Americans who say the bill may result in reverse discrimination or racial profiling, given that caste is most associated with the South Asian community.

“This bill is very simple,” Sen. Wahab said Tuesday while addressing the Senate. “It is to protect all people against caste discrimination, regardless of caste: upper caste, lower caste, it does not matter.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Dear remaining Twitter/X advertisers: If you’re onboard with associating your trusted brand with gassing the Jews, you’ve come to the right place!”

- Science writer Steve Silberman, sharing a screenshot of X’s determination that a user named “gasthejews6969” did not violate the platform’s safety policies, via Bluesky.

Best of The Bee:

• California State University financial experts outlined a multi-year tuition proposal on Wednesday morning just days ahead of the CSU Board of Trustees’ bimonthly meeting, via Jacqueline Pinedo.

• A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge has put a pause on Chino Valley Unified School District’s new policy requiring school employees to out transgender students to their parents, via Andrew Sheeler.

• Former President Donald Trump is on track to win a majority of California Republican voters in next year’s primary despite multiple criminal indictments, a new poll says, via Andrew Sheeler.

• Citing lack of remorse, prosecutors seek prison for Jan. 6 defendant from California, via Sam Stanton.

• Teachers, parents, and retired school staff in Rocklin will protest Wednesday evening before a school board meeting that’s likely to be contentious, with parents’ rights and students’ gender identities on the agenda, via Jenavieve Hatch.

• California voters will likely see clearer ballot language on statewide referendums after lawmakers on Tuesday endorsed a bill that would eliminate the often puzzling “Yes” or “No” choice, via Maya Miller.