Even former Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA) has warned her governor against signing a sweeping Big Tech censorship bill passed by the California legislature.
If California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) does not veto the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act by September 30, 2024, it will become law. The bill would make open-source artificial intelligence (AI) developers responsible for other people’s use and modification of their technology, likely moving the entire AI industry towards the censorship-heavy closed-source models of California tech giant Google.
Pelosi, who remains a U.S. congresswoman, joined free speech advocates in opposing the Frontier AI Act (also called Senate Bill 1047). She warned, “While [I] want California to lead in AI in a way that protects consumers, data, intellectual property and more, SB 1047 is more harmful than helpful in that pursuit.”
Currently, companies like OpenAI, X (formerly Twitter) and Meta offer open-source AI programs, which permit any person to observe their code, see their biases and even modify them to create something better. Tech giant Google operates a closed-source AI called Gemini.
Since Gemini is closed-source, its algorithm — which is infamous for censoring conservative and American ideals — can only be seen and modified behind closed doors by Google, with even the product’s licensees kept in the dark.
In an edited version of an a16z podcast posted June 19, 2024, AI expert Anjney Midha warned that if the Frontier AI Act becomes law, “open source AI research in the U.S. will be completely crushed due to the legal risks involved.”
Midha continued: “Large tech companies that have armies of lawyers and lobbyists will be able to shape the [regulatory] definitions to their advantage, while smaller companies, open source researchers, and academics will be completely left out in the cold. It’s just blatant regulatory capture, and it’s one of the most anti-competitive proposals I’ve seen in a long time.”
The Frontier AI Act was written by San Francisco Senator Scott Weiner (D). Weiner is known nationally for his wildly provocative antics, such as boasting about attending a “kink fair,” posing for sexually-charged public photos and celebrating the anti-Catholic hate group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
Newsom has a poor track record on free speech issues. In 2021, he was sued by Harvest International Ministry for “intentionally discriminat[ing] against churches” and unlawfully banning worship services. This summer, a Media Research Center (MRC) report exposed the governor colluding with a group of far-left prosecutors to push a police censorship bill.
What’s more? Just last week, Newsom suggested that sharing a satire video mocking Vice President Kamala Harris should be criminalized.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact Governor Gavin Newsom and demand that he respect and uphold the First Amendment. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
