Earlier this month, SVLG and leading member innovators hosted our annual advocacy day in Sacramento. This year’s convening centered on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and included a focus on meaningful legislative priorities designed to accelerate the innovation economy and bolster California’s competitiveness.
SVLG’s Institute for California AI Policy (I-CAP) was center stage and the day’s conversations largely focused on how lawmakers can and should be thinking about this technology, if the goal is to advance balanced and responsible policy solutions that ensure California remains a global hub for AI innovation. Legislators, policymakers, and technology experts from SVLG’s diverse member companies shared key insights and addressed both the opportunities and challenges associated with the evolving AI landscape.
Below are four key insights that emerged from these conversations.
- The private sector is an important resource for policymakers as they work to understand AI technology, its benefits, and its challenges, and it is essential that interaction between the two happen at an early stage before the “concrete hardens” around AI policy.
- California’s ability to continue to lead, depends on investments in education. This includes training and support for non-traditional paths, and a focus on a diverse and representative AI-ready workforce – one that can serve in both the public and private sectors.
- Increased transparency builds trust. Artificial intelligence is an opportunity and challenge, all wrapped in one. And by growing capacity and increasing visibility into I who is using data to train models, how information is used to train those models, and when consumers are interacting with the technology we position ourselves to truly take advantage of this technology.
- New and innovative public private partnerships are requisite. The state and industry can and should work together to advance AI technology through formal collaborations that grow R&D, focus on entrepreneurship and support a level of scientific experimentation.
California stands at the forefront of AI innovation and policy, positioning itself as the epicenter of responsible artificial intelligence. SVLG’s 2024 Sacramento Advocacy Day underscored the critical importance of fostering responsible artificial intelligence policy for California’s future competitiveness and innovation. Through collaborative efforts between private industry, policymakers, and technology experts, these key insights pointed to the need for early and ongoing dialogue to inform AI policy development.
Additionally, investing in education to cultivate a diverse and skilled AI workforce, addressing transparency concerns, and fostering formal collaborations between the state and industry are pivotal steps towards advancing AI innovation responsibly. As California continues to lead in AI technology, it is imperative to prioritize thoughtful and balanced policy solutions that not only propel innovation but also safeguard against potential risks, ensuring that the Golden State remains a pioneer in global AI leadership.
