California Enacts Landmark AI Safety Law But With Very Narrow Applicability

On September 29, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, establishing a comprehensive framework for transparency, safety and accountability in the development and deployment of the most advanced artificial intelligence models.

Building upon existing California laws targeting AI such as AB 2013, the Act, which takes effect January 1, 2026 and imposes penalties up to $1 million per violation, creates immediate compliance obligations for AI developers of the most powerful frontier models.

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