Omidyar Network praises passage of landmark AI bill in California

REDWOOD CITY, CA – Omidyar Network today praised Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of SB 53, landmark legislation that establishes California as a national leader in responsible AI governance. CEO Mike Kubzansky released the following statement:

Governor Newsom’s signing of SB 53 caps two years of thoughtful work and cements California’s role as a national leader in creating people-centered tech policy. SB 53 is more than just common sense governance; it provides regulatory clarity that will reassure investors, accelerate responsible innovation, and set the standard for how America can maintain its AI leadership while protecting the public interest. Senator Wiener deserves enormous credit for crafting legislation that threads the needle — democratizing AI access through CalCompute while establishing the transparency and safety guardrails that investors, innovators, and the public have been demanding. We also applaud the work of Encode, ESP Action, Tech Equity, Common Sense, Tech Oversight California, Common Cause CITED, Transparency Coalition, and the many other organizations that joined together to support this bill becoming a law.”

Omidyar Network previously endorsed SB 53, along with a slate of other California bills focused on accountability, data privacy, antitrust enforcement, and fair labor standards in the age of AI. A complete list of Omidyar Network’s policy positions and endorsements is viewable here.