Gavin Newsom is pushing for an AI kill switch | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchLightSystemDarkTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Gavin Newsom is pushing for an AI kill switchNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...PolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AINewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsGavin Newsom is pushing for an AI kill switchWith Congress unlikely to act before the midterms, California is angling to take the lead.With Congress unlikely to act before the midterms, California is angling to take the lead.by Lauren FeinerCloseLauren FeinerSenior Policy ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Lauren FeinerSep 18, 2026, 5:04 PM UTCLinkShareGiftGetty ImagesLauren FeinerCloseLauren FeinerPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Lauren Feiner is a senior policy reporter at The Verge, covering the intersection of Silicon Valley and Capitol Hill. She spent 5 years covering tech policy at CNBC, writing about antitrust, privacy, and content moderation reform.California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is positioning the state to take the lead on AI oversight, including the potential to mandate a “kill switch” for frontier models, with a new executive order issued Friday.Newsom’s order directs the state to convene a group of experts that will deliver recommendations within two months on how to strengthen AI safety measures in state law. Newsom wants the group to consider how the state could require AI companies to embed independent verification groups onsite for regular audits, make their transparency reports and risk assessments subject to standards of independent auditors, create a “kill switch” that’s routinely verified as effective, and make sure companies are required to report “loss-of-control incidents” like the OpenAI attack on Hugging Face as critical safety incidents. It also directs a state agency to speed up implementation of two recent laws he signed, creating a framework for independent verifiers to assess AI safety, and a state registry of AI auditors.There’s been a flurry of bill discussions in Congress in the wake of former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon’s post warning of a more than 10 percent chance that AI “could kill all humans” within a decade. But there’s little hope in Washington that a bill of substance could pass anytime soon given that the House is on recess until November, and the impending midterm elections make major legislation movement in the Senate similarly unlikely. At the same time, President Donald Trump has insisted, “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND ​SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!”Newsom is calling on Congress and Trump “to review and adopt the state’s framework”Newsom’s executive order is likely not the last we’ll hear from California on this topic. On Wednesday, he floated the possibility of calling California lawmakers in for a special legislative session on AI in an interview with Politico, alongside potential executive action. He is specifically positioning the order as a model for federal action, calling on Congress and Trump “to review and adopt the state’s framework, or use its nation-leading regulation as a floor, not a ceiling, for the benefit and safety of all Americans.”“The federal government’s abject failure to create any form of meaningful AI oversight or accountability should alarm every American, especially when AI CEOs themselves are begging for regulation,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’re not waiting to act – we’re going to speed up our work on substantial and responsible AI oversight before it’s too late. We’re going to do this thoughtfully but with urgent velocity; the stakes are too high to wait or delay action.”Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Lauren FeinerCloseLauren FeinerSenior Policy ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Lauren FeinerAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AINewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyPoliticsClosePoliticsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PoliticsMost PopularMost PopularThe Apple Watch Series 12 is the start of a new wearable eraThe 2.5-hour AI-generated Odyssey movie is 2.5 hours too longThe iPhone 18 Pro’s big camera update is all about the small gainsVideoInside the suddenly explosive world of AI safetyYour robotaxi might be a narcThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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California Governor Gavin Newsom is advancing state-level leadership in regulating artificial intelligence safety by issuing a new executive order that paves the way for implementing measures such as an AI kill switch for frontier models. This action is being taken despite limited expectation of immediate federal legislative action, as Congress is on recess and upcoming midterm elections are anticipated to slow major movement. Newsom's order directs the state to establish a group of experts tasked with developing recommendations within two months on strengthening AI safety measures within state law. These proposed measures are comprehensive, aiming to enforce rigorous accountability for AI development.

The framework being developed seeks to incorporate several critical safety mechanisms. These include requiring AI companies to establish independent verification groups on site for routine audits, ensuring that transparency reports and risk assessments are subject to standards set by independent auditors. Furthermore, the state is exploring the creation of a kill switch that is routinely verified for effectiveness. A crucial element of the proposed regulation involves mandating that companies report incidents of loss-of-control, citing events such as the attack on Hugging Face by OpenAI, as critical safety incidents. The executive order also directs a state agency to accelerate the implementation of existing laws, thereby creating frameworks for independent verifiers to assess AI safety and establishing a state registry for AI auditors.

Newsom is actively positioning this California framework as a model for broader federal action, urging Congress and President Trump to review and adopt the state's regulations as a floor, rather than a ceiling, for the overall safety and security of Americans. Newsom articulated a view that the federal government’s current inaction in establishing meaningful AI oversight and accountability is alarming, particularly when AI executives are themselves advocating for regulation. He stressed the necessity of moving quickly to implement substantial and responsible AI oversight before potential risks escalate, emphasizing that the stakes demand urgent velocity in policy response.