CA Gov. Newsom Signs Executive Order for Creation of New AI Rules, Including ‘Kill Switch’
Meanwhile, there is a federal investigation into Newsom that reportedly involves nonprofit funding his travel.
How likely is the recent panic over artificial intelligence likely to be about both the November election, as well as 2028?
Data suggests that this is very likely, especially the latest news that California Governor Gavin News signed an executive order to accelerate California’s new AI-safety oversight laws.
The order also directs state officials and outside “experts” to develop recommendations (including a “kill switch” for the most powerful “frontier” AI models). Very conveniently, these recommendations would be published… within two months.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Friday to speed up two AI laws he recently signed and explore proposals like requiring that AI companies develop a “kill switch” for their most advanced models.
The order comes after he told POLITICO this week he was mulling his options to take further action on AI safety, including a possible special legislative session to address recent safety concerns set off by AI researchers’ warnings that the technology could pose an existential risk to humanity and prominent autonomous hacking incidents.
Newsom said his executive action was also driven by federal inaction, after President Donald Trump responded to the warnings by dismissing them as a “hoax” and saying the only guardrails AI needs are his presidency. On Friday, Newsom urged Trump and Congress to adopt California’s AI framework or use the state’s existing regulations as a floor for federal rules.
“The federal government’s abject failure to create any form of meaningful AI oversight or accountability should alarm every American, especially when AI CEOs themselves are begging for regulation,” Newsom said in his press release.
Gavin Newsom: I just signed an executive order to dramatically accelerate independent oversight of AI companies and advance the creation of an “AI kill switch.”
With Donald Trump and Congress failing to lead, California is stepping up to keep all Americans safe. pic.twitter.com/XOaCE1mDU7
— Bruce Snyder (@realBruceSnyder) September 18, 2026
It appears California is going to be center stage for a great deal of AI drama in the next few months.
State Sen. Christopher Cabaldon (D-West Sacramento), who chairs the state committee overseeing technology issues, told The Times he’ll hold hearings on artificial intelligence this fall. Those meetings were planned before the recent warnings about AI’s dangers, but will be informed by the events of the last few weeks, he said.
He said the state’s rules around AI don’t go far enough.
“We regulate your barber or your sandwich shop more than we regulate [a company] telling us that they may be ending humanity,” he said.
I suspect Newsom is making the move to gin up even more AI panic to distract from the fact that federal investigators are reportedly examining Gov. Gavin Newsom’s international travel and the California State Protocol Foundation, which helps fund it.
The subpoenas, issued earlier this month, reportedly request six years of records from the foundation, testimony, and communications involving Newsom, as well as current and former aides and advisors. While the subpoenas do not cite any specific alleged crime, their contents suggest a potential investigation into improper gifts or influence peddling, the Standard reported.
The California State Protocol Foundation, established during Gov. Gray Davis’ administration in 2002, raises money for gubernatorial travel and other expenses not covered by taxpayers. State records show Newsom has secured over $7.5 million in donations from businesses and nonprofits for the foundation since 2019.
…The subpoenas reportedly indicate the investigation is part of a criminal case pending in the Eastern District of California, which is also handling the case against Newsom’s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson.
Williamson is expected to be sentenced for three federal crimes, including stolen campaign funds, tax fraud, and lying to investigators. Her sentencing, initially scheduled for this month, has been delayed due to an unplanned surgery, with federal prosecutors proposing October 8 as the new date.
Federal subpoenas, FBI agents, and FEC audit warnings.
Gavin Newsom and his wife are officially under fire as federal investigators probe millions funneled into non-profits and out-of-state travel.
Is his 2028 presidential run already in jeopardy?https://t.co/rARDDx9Cxv— Watcher Reports (@WatcherReports) September 15, 2026
I will note that, back in July, Mary Chastain reported that Democrat insider Alexis Podesta secretly recorded conversations during the criminal probe into Newsom’s then-chief of staff, Dana Williamson, who pleaded guilty to federal fraud and tax charges in May.
Newsom can generate all the AI drama he wants, but even the most shocking political spectacle cannot erase a federal investigation seeking six years of records tied to his travel, outside funding, and expenses.
If investigators ultimately establish that he participated in fraud funneling taxpayer money or trading official influence for private benefits, no manufactured distraction will make that evidence disappear.
Once the 2028 presidential campaign begins, even a sympathetic press corps will not be able to keep a substantiated corruption scandal out of public view.
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Comments
Who—or what—is going to operate the kill switch?
China’s AI.
Newsom has it all figured out.
Is there a more reflexive politician today? What’s worse, most everything he touches goes bad. How do Democrats fall for these performers?
Democrats don’t care. Can the candidate take and hold power? That’s the only important thing to them.
There needs to be a kill switch for governors in California.
I would say I’d rather install a kill in Newsome that one in AI. He and his ilk are the bigger danger.
I agree with you on the kill switch.
Open the door to AI control room Hal
Gavin, you know I can’t do that,
Sure, for any AI owned, operated and available exclusively in CA. For AI outside of CA? Nope. He’s likely sparking a build outside of CA and other blue bastions to AI which won’t be made available to CA residents/companies. It’ll be interesting to see how CA explains how they will enforce this rule v foreign AI particularly CHICOM based AI.
If I’m an AI company I move out of CA. That makes his laws irrelevant. If his laws govern CA companies using AI then I’d have the AI company make a nerfed version for use by CA companies. Those companies then need to decide whether to move of CA or become noncompetitive.
This reminds me of all the crap we went through with strong vs weak cryptology in the 90s and how companies maneuvered around it and those were federal laws not state laws.
This is nothing more than drama by theater kids.
Yep. IMO the day is approaching that Congress reins in the regulatory shenanigans of CA and other lefty woke activist States by using federal statutes to limit applicability of onerous State regs to products/services that are produced/manufactured, sold and used within the borders of their State. That way CA can put whatever auto emissions regs it wants into effect …but only on automobiles manufactured, sold and used exclusively within CA but can’t impact automobile manufacturing, sales, use elsewhere in the Nation.
The only thing this greasy moron is accomplishing is making AI developed outside Commiefornia.
What a glorious engineer is Gavin Newsom!
I haven’t seen such innovative engineering since 1854, when Daniel Halliday invented the “spigot” to control “run away behavior” from his new windmill-driven water pump.
So, these things don’t need power?
You’ve got a good point. You don’t need a kill switch, it’s California. Find some homeless lunatic to start a fire. Bingo, problem solved.
“Newsom can generate all the AI drama he wants, but even the most shocking political spectacle cannot erase a federal investigation seeking six years of records tied to his travel, outside funding, and expenses.”
He doesn’t have a missile to fire at a Sudanese aspirin factory, so he’s doing what he can to “look squirrel” this fed investigation.
In truth, that kill switch is really not a bad idea, could prove to be just what we actually need at the last minute.
The concept of a kill switch on a software package brings up two horrible examples, both framed in Robocop. The first one was a kill switch on the original Robocop that prevented him from acting against his creator, even when the creator was guilty of murder. The second Robocop was restrained by a kill switch of sorts, which was fairly easy to subvert so the bad robot could wrek havoc on the populace he was supposed to protect. Even M5 on Star Trek suffered from this ‘breaking free’ flaw.
I wonder how many people who feel that they favor a “kill switch” are also enamored by the concept of a “zeroth law,” despite the fact that if you actually THINK about both concepts, they are mutually contradictory?
Newscum going to cosplay The Terminator for his presidential run?
It’s time. His Mister Haney costume is showing its age.
Useless theater. Any AI can be “killed” by cutting its power. These things are energy hogs. But Newsom is just doing his usual bandwagon jumping and panic mongering.