Leaders from Silicon Valley, academia, and D.C. came out in opposition to California’s AI Safety bill (SB 1047) last week, publishing critical white papers, op-eds, open letters, and letters to Sen. Scott Wiener.

The bill, which Wiener introduced in February, would create a new government agency to regulate AI (read our primer here). Critics argue its “strategically ambiguous” language, criminal penalties, kill switch provision, and other aspects will stifle innovation in the AI sector and hurt California’s economy, the largest in the US.

Last week, Andreessen Horowitz Chief Legal Officer Jaikumar Ramaswamy sent Wiener a 14-page letter, arguing Wiener's defense of the bill in July “made certain legal claims inconsistent with a plain reading” of the bill. Specifically, the letter says, 1047 privileges closed source models over open source, will stifle innovation, and is “troublingly vague,” among other criticisms.