OpenAI urges California to strengthen AI safety bill SB 53 it once opposed

OpenAI has changed its position on California's AI safety legislation. According to TechCrunch, the company is now calling on California to strengthen SB 53, an AI safety bill it previously opposed.

The report, published August 22, marks a notable reversal for OpenAI, which had earlier stood against the bill.

The shift signals that OpenAI is willing to work within a stricter regulatory framework rather than continue resisting it, a meaningful adjustment for one of the leading AI labs.

California, home to many of the major AI companies, often serves as a bellwether for AI regulation in the United States. Strengthening SB 53 could influence legislative debates in other states and at the federal level.

What remains unclear is which specific provisions OpenAI wants to see strengthened, and how California lawmakers will respond to the call. The final shape of the bill still depends on the state legislature's deliberations.

The next thing to watch is whether California's legislature adopts OpenAI's suggestions, and whether other AI companies such as Anthropic and Google follow with similar statements that shape the bill's trajectory.