Newsom signs California order on AI model kill switches

What Newsom ordered

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order demanding a “kill switch” for AI models, placing the ability to stop a model at the center of the state action. In this context, a kill switch means a mechanism designed to halt an AI model’s operation instead of allowing it to continue running.

The order focuses on control over an AI model after it has been created or put into use. A shutdown requirement is distinct from rules governing what a model may produce: It addresses whether the system can continue operating at all.

Newsom took the action through an executive order, which is issued by the governor rather than passed as a bill by the Legislature. The action is a policy directive and is not directly connected to a candidate contest, election or ballot measure.

How the order could take effect

The order’s practical reach will depend on how California defines an AI model covered by the directive and what qualifies as an effective kill switch. Other implementation questions include who must control the shutdown mechanism, how it must be maintained and under what circumstances it would be activated.

Those details matter because “AI models” can describe systems with different designs and uses. A clear definition of the systems covered by the order would establish which models face the shutdown requirement, while technical standards would determine what a compliant mechanism must be able to do.

The next steps are procedural: California must translate the governor’s directive into standards or instructions that can be followed and assessed. The wording of those measures will determine how the kill-switch policy applies in practice.