Governor Gavin Newsom attends the 94th Annual Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors on June 4, 2026 in Long Beach, California.
Milanelli Fabian | Anadolu | Getty Images
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday issued an executive order aimed at addressing potential dangers related to artificial intelligence.
Newsom is part of a group of 2028 Democratic presidential candidates who are advocating for a more aggressive regulatory approach to the rapidly evolving technology after an Anthropic researcher resigned and warned of AI’s potential extinction in a social media post earlier this month.
The post caused an uproar in Washington, D.C., as lawmakers grapple with how to establish AI guardrails. But Congress is unlikely to take meaningful legislative action on AI concerns before the 2026 midterm elections, and President Donald Trump has so far resisted calls for regulation.
“The federal government’s abject failure to provide any meaningful oversight or accountability for AI should be alarming to all Americans, especially at a time when AI CEOs themselves are calling for regulation,” Newsom said in a statement Friday.
“We are not waiting to act. We will accelerate work toward substantive and responsible AI oversight before it is too late. We will do this thoughtfully but with urgent speed. The risks are too great to wait or delay action,” Newsom continued.
The order calls for a group of experts to meet and create a guide within two months for states to strengthen their AI safety and security laws. The strengthened laws could include requiring independent third parties to develop safety plans for frontier AI companies and requiring companies to develop “kill switches” to shut down their models in an emergency, according to a statement from Newsom’s office.
President Trump has called concerns about AI safety a “hoax,” while Democrats have largely rallied around calling for stronger regulation. And those with presidential ambitions have been the most vocal in recent weeks.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro similarly called for “third party” oversight and stricter guardrails for the frontier model. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) told Politico that he will introduce a bill to create a fund funded by AI companies to help workers displaced by AI technology. Sen. Cory Booker (D.J.) also urged President Trump to convene a special session of Congress to address AI risks.
Newsom, whose term as California governor ends on January 4, has not announced a presidential run, but said he is considering the possibility.
In announcing the executive order, Newsom touted laws already in place in the state, including one he signed earlier this month creating a framework for third-party AI auditors.
“While Washington abdicates its responsibility to protect Americans, California is building the strongest AI regulatory framework in the nation,” Newsom said. “California is already building a national model, and our policies should become the national standard.”
