Newsom rejects bill targeting firms developing generative AI after tech industry says it could drive firms from state

California governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday vetoed a hotly contested artificial intelligence safety bill after the tech industry raised objections, saying it could drive AI companies from the state and hinder innovation.

The bill, officially known as SB 1047, targets companies developing generative AI – which can respond to prompts with fully formed text, images or audio, as well as run repetitive tasks with minimal intervention.