California's governor wants a way to pull the plug on AI models that get out of hand.
Governor Newsom signed an executive order directing the state to convene an expert panel tasked with developing new AI safety measures, including what's being described as a kill switch for frontier AI models. The order does not itself create binding rules. Instead it sets up a process: gather experts, study the risks, and come back with concrete safety proposals. No timeline or panel membership was detailed in the announcement.
This matters because it signals California is still willing to move on AI oversight even as federal appetite for regulation stays thin. The state has already tangled with AI companies over safety legislation once, and an executive order is a lighter-weight tool than a bill - one that does not require legislative buy-in and can be undone by the next governor just as easily.
An order asking a panel to study a kill switch is not the same as having one. Whether this becomes enforceable policy or just a talking point depends on what that panel actually recommends, and whether Sacramento has the stomach to act on it.