This article aims to provide a comprehensive examination of California's currently pending SB 1047, summarizing its key provisions in plain language, exploring the perspectives of both proponents and opponents, and assessing the practical implications of the bill.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues its rapid advancement, governments worldwide are increasingly focusing on regulating the transformative technology. In the United States, the Biden administration's Executive Order on AI has addressed some of AI's opportunities and challenges, while the EU adopted its comprehensive AI Act earlier this year, and China has introduced its own regulatory framework. Amid this global trend, on Aug. 28, 2024, California's Senate passed SB 1047—a bill designed to govern foundational AI models and their derivatives.