California's Governor Just Told the Pentagon to Back Off Its Biggest AI Company

California just picked a fight with the Pentagon over artificial intelligence, and it's a big one.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order this week that essentially tells the federal government: you don't get to decide which of our AI companies are dangerous. We'll make that call ourselves.

This all started when Anthropic, the San Francisco company behind the Claude AI chatbot, told the Department of Defense they wouldn't allow their AI to be used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. The military's response? They labeled Anthropic a "supply chain risk," which is government-speak for blacklisting them from defense contracts.

A federal judge had to step in with an emergency order to block that designation. But Newsom didn't stop there. His executive order means California will now independently review any federal risk designation before deciding whether the state will follow along.

It's a bold move. California is home to most of the world's biggest AI companies, and Newsom is essentially saying the state will be their shield against federal pressure.

The order also requires state agencies to set up rules around AI use, specifically banning AI that could generate child abuse material, violate civil rights, or enable unlawful surveillance. So it's not like California is going full Wild West. They just want to be the ones holding the reins.

As reported by CalMatters.

Source: CalMatters