# Newsom orders California to tighten AI safety rules

> California's governor is pushing for stronger AI oversight as federal regulators drag their feet and tech leaders warn of existential risks.
- Title: Newsom orders California to tighten AI safety rules · CNBC
- Summary: California's governor is pushing for stronger AI oversight as federal regulators drag their feet and tech leaders warn of existential risks. California is…
- Keywords: gavin newsom, california, artificial intelligence, ai regulation, executive order, ai safety, third-party auditors, frontier ai, federal regulation, 2028 presidential race, democratic candidates, business
- Source: CNBC — https://cnbc.com/2026/09/18/california-newsom-executive-order-ai.html
- Author: Justin Papp
- Published: 2026-09-18T15:02:50+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: gavin newsom, california, artificial intelligence, ai regulation, executive order, ai safety, third-party auditors, frontier ai, federal regulation, 2028 presidential race, democratic candidates, business
## Newsom orders AI safety review
California's governor issued an executive order Friday directing experts to create recommendations for strengthening the state's AI safety laws within two months.
## Federal inaction sparks state moves
Congress is unlikely to pass meaningful AI legislation before the 2026 midterms, and Trump has resisted regulation calls, prompting Newsom to act unilaterally.

> The federal government's abject failure to create any form of meaningful AI oversight or accountability should alarm every American
## Proposed rules include kill switches
California's new framework may require independent auditors to write safety plans for frontier AI companies and mandate emergency kill switches to shut down models if needed.
## Newsom joins 2028 hopefuls
The governor is part of a group of potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidates pushing aggressive AI regulation, following warnings from an Anthropic researcher about AI's existential risks.
## California already leads on AI
Newsom signed a law earlier this month creating a framework for third-party AI auditors, and he says California's approach should become the national baseline.

> California has already built a national model, and our policy should be the national baseline
## Key takeaway

California is moving ahead with its own AI safety framework while Washington remains gridlocked, positioning the state as a regulatory leader.