California Senator Scott Wiener has responded to OpenAI's critique of the AI safety bill SB 1047. Wiener emphasized that the company did not criticize any of the recommendations put forth in the bill and disagreed with the suggestion that the issue should be left to Congress.
OpenAI Criticism of the Bill
In February 2024, Senator Wiener introduced bill SB 1047, which requires AI firms to maintain thorough safety checks on their models before they are released to the public. OpenAI, the company responsible for developing ChatGPT, recently opposed the bill, insisting that the issue should be left to Congress. In a recent press release, Wiener noted, “What’s notable about the OpenAI letter is that it doesn’t criticize a single provision of the bill.”
Wiener's Statement
Wiener appreciated OpenAI’s acknowledgment of the bill's core provisions but highlighted that the company argued that safety issues should be handled by Congress. The senator expressed skepticism about Congress’ ability to address the issue, saying, “As I’ve stated repeatedly, I agree that ideally Congress would handle this. However, Congress has not done so, and we are skeptical Congress will do so.”
National Security Concerns
Wiener completely dismissed OpenAI’s claims that his bill raises national security concerns. Instead, he believes that the AI safety bill will force AI companies to commit to more rigorous product testing, which will inevitably strengthen national security. As a closing statement to its opposition, OpenAI highlighted that the company would leave California if the bill passed. Wiener mentioned that the statement makes no sense as the SB 1047 bill is not limited to firms headquartered in California. The senator pointed out that the bill even applies to firms that do business in California. “As a result, locating outside of California does not avoid compliance with the bill,” Wiener said. The senator concluded that the AI safety bill is a highly reasonable one, stating that the bill is simply asking AI labs to do what they have already committed to doing.
Senator Wiener believes that the AI safety bill SB 1047 is an essential step towards ensuring the safe use of artificial intelligence and emphasized the need for rigorous checks to enhance national security.
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