Actor Mark Ruffalo, star of Marvel’s The Avengers, slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) over his veto of an AI safety bill, calling it “a mistake,” and advising the public to “follow the money” when analyzing the decisions Newsom makes.
“AI is now a real-life technology, and love it or hate it, most everyone agrees it will make a massive impact on all of our real lives,” Ruffalo wrote in an op-ed for TIME magazine, titled, “Governor Newsom’s Veto on the AI Bill Was a Mistake.”
The Avengers star insists that much of the impact AI is going to have “will be incredibly positive,” citing, “the potential to supercharge medicine, equalize education,” and general problem solving.
While the actor admitted “there could also be some serious downsides” with regards to AI, as the entertainment industry sees the technology as an entity that “is currently threatening our livelihoods,” he said, “We were happy and grateful when lawmakers in California, led by Senator Scott Wiener, stepped up to create Senate Bill 1047 (SB 1047).”
“This groundbreaking legislation would have required big tech companies to conduct safety testing on their most advanced and expensive AI models,” Ruffalo explained. “It would have held those companies liable for major harms, protected whistleblowers, and mandated proper cybersecurity measures to prevent this powerful tech from falling into the hands of geopolitical adversaries and terrorists.”
“Unfortunately, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill on September 29,” the actor lamented.
“Let that sink in,” he added. “This bill was supported by both startup founders and big time CEOs, Democrats and Republicans, the California Federation of Labor Unions and even Elon Musk who usually opposes regulation.”
“It passed with overwhelming majorities in both the State Senate and Assembly, and was approved by 77% of Californians in polls. Why would the Governor refuse to sign it into law?” the actor inquired.
Ruffalo then advised his readers to “Follow the money,” writing:
Some of the biggest tech companies and venture capital firms hired teams of expensive lobbyists to fight this bill. Their main argument was that SB 1047 would stifle “innovation.” But this is a misleading half truth. New safety regulations would stimulate innovation in safety, forcing companies to innovate new ways to protect the public from harm. But the investor class doesn’t like this kind of innovation, because they want their portfolio companies to stay focused on innovating new ways to turn a profit. In his veto statement, Newsom echoed these lobbyists’ concerns over “innovation.”
It’s the same anti-regulation rhetoric we’ve heard over and over again in any number of industries. The chemical industry, for example, killed legislation to regulate PFAs — otherwise known as “forever chemicals” — by claiming they were an economic driver. PFAs seemed like a miracle to some at first, with non-stick pans, efficient packaging, and water-resistant clothing. But now they’re in our water, our soil, and our bodies, causing devastating and irreversible health problems. No amount of economic upside can put that genie back in the bottle. We can’t let history repeat itself with AI.
“Newsom couldn’t be seen as kowtowing to Big Tech, and so he publicly claimed that the harms SB 1047 would aim to prevent are not based in ‘science and fact,'” Ruffalo claimed. “But his argument ignores a large and growing contingent of computer scientists in this space.”
The actor accused Newsom of effectively saying “We shouldn’t make laws to prevent catastrophes until they’ve already occurred,” and insisting that the California governor doesn’t believe in a “wait and see” approach.
“But this is doublespeak: he’s saying one thing and doing exactly the opposite,” Ruffalo argued.
The actor closed his op-ed with a call for activists to assemble, warning, “We’re not going away. In fact, we’re just getting started.”
“Next time legislation like this comes up for a vote, we will fight in greater numbers to make our government work for everyone, not just for big business,” he said, imploring readers to “stay informed, speak out, and demand better from our leaders.”
“Gov. Newsom may have failed us this time, but if we all stand together, we won’t let it happen again,” Ruffalo asserted.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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