Becerra faces pushback over California AI regulation claim

Asked at Politico’s Sacramento summit last week whether California needs stronger AI rules, California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra said, “Gosh, we hardly have any.” Critics point to existing general laws against discrimination, fraud and unfair practices, along with federal and state guidance saying those rules apply to automated systems.

California officials have also taken specific positions on AI oversight. In April 2023, four federal agencies under the Biden Administration said existing laws “apply to the use of automated systems.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued two legal advisories on how state laws apply to AI, and Governor Gavin Newsom signed nearly a score of AI bills in 2024. Additional measures followed in 2025, including the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, companion chatbot safeguards and an expanded transparency act.

The critique extends beyond statutory rules to the state’s economic strategy. Two dozen more AI bills await floor votes before the August 31 deadline, while Imperial County imposed a one-year moratorium on new data centers and Monterey Park banned them outright. Assembly Bill 2647, which would have exempted qualifying advanced reactors from California’s 50-year-old moratorium on new nuclear plants, was reduced to a study.