California Enacts First Major US AI Safety Regulation

A New Regulatory Standard

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sep 30, 2025, signed Senate Bill 53, the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act. The legislation establishes the first significant U.S. state-level regulatory framework for developers of the most powerful AI systems. With 32 of the 50 largest AI companies based in California, the law is expected to create a de facto national standard for the industry.

The law applies to companies with over $500 million in annual revenue that build "frontier" AI models. "California has proven that we can establish regulations to protect our communities while also ensuring that …