California eyes AI kill switch mandate

california governor gavin newsom has issued an executive order to take the lead on ai oversight, including potentially mandating a kill switch for frontier models. the order directs the state to convene experts to deliver recommendations within two months on strengthening ai safety measures in state law. these measures include requiring ai companies to embed independent verification groups onsite for regular audits, making transparency reports and risk assessments subject to standards of independent auditors, and creating a kill switch that's routinely verified as effective. newsom is also calling on congress and president trump to review and adopt the state's framework, positioning it as a model for federal action.