California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Friday calling on the federal government to take a more active role in regulating artificial intelligence, while also directing state agencies to accelerate AI oversight measures already on the books.
Newsom, widely seen as a likely 2028 presidential contender, said in a statement that the Trump administration has abdicated “its responsibility to protect Americans” as AI systems grow more advanced and capable.
The order convenes a group of experts who are expected, within two months, to produce recommendations for strengthening California’s AI safety and security laws. Among the proposals under consideration: requiring independent third parties to write safety plans for frontier AI companies, and requiring those companies to build an emergency shutoff, or “kill switch,” into their most advanced models.
Newsom acknowledged that the kill-switch concept is still in its early stages, which is why he is convening the panel to study it further before any formal proposal moves forward.
Speeding Up Existing Rules
The order does not itself create new law. Instead, it directs state agencies to speed up implementation of AI-related measures California has already enacted. Specifically, it moves up the start date for California’s AI auditor registry and oversight program from January 2029 to December 2027.
That program is part of a broader framework, established under recent state law, that allows independent organizations to assess AI systems for safety and potential risk.
What the Order Does Not Do
The executive order stops short of imposing binding mandates on AI companies. It calls on the federal government to act, recommends greater oversight of firms developing AI, and sets in motion a process — the expert panel — that could eventually inform legislation in California’s Democratic-controlled Assembly. Any kill-switch requirement or new safety-plan mandate would still need to go through further study, and likely statutory action, before taking effect.
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