Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Friday directing a panel of experts to propose stricter safety rules for artificial intelligence by November 16. The mandate explores the feasibility of a mandatory "kill switch" for frontier models to ensure they can be shut down in an emergency, though the order does not yet require labs to implement such a tool.

The directive focuses on accelerating independent oversight of AI labs and considers requiring third party monitors to be embedded onsite to verify risk reports and safety plans. Newsom cited a failure by President Donald Trump and Congress to regulate the industry as the driver for the move, which the Washington Post says positions him as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.