Hollywood opposes Nancy Pelosi on key California legislation
Actors Mark Ruffalo, Sean Astin, and Rosie Perez are appealing to Gov. Gavin Newsom to approve a significant AI safety bill that is presently awaiting his signature.
TroibNews 
Hollywood has officially entered the AI conversation.
Following a significant win against studios' use of artificial intelligence last year, actors in Tinseltown are now stepping into one of the country's most prominent debates about the future of AI. A growing number of them are supporting a bill that mandates large-scale AI models to undergo safety testing prior to deployment.
Authored by a San Francisco Democrat, the bill is currently on the governor's desk and he has until Sept. 30 to either sign or veto it.
State Sen. Scott Wiener’s legislation may seem unrelated to the digital replicas that dominated last year’s five-month strike. However, in the past week, it has gained the endorsement of the powerful actors' union SAG-AFTRA and drawn attention from celebrities such as Mark Ruffalo, Sean Astin, and Rosie Perez. They view this legislation as a vital safeguard against a potent technology and are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to approve it.
“AI is about to explode in a way [where] we have no idea what the consequences are,” Ruffalo said in a video posted to X over the weekend. “Gov. Newsom, please do the right thing, don’t bow to the billionaires — protect us.”
In recent months, artificial intelligence has emerged as a contentious political topic, particularly for celebrities who have seen their voices and likenesses replicated digitally without their consent. Taylor Swift cited AI deepfakes as one of the reasons she endorsed Kamala Harris, as she mentioned in an Instagram post last week, highlighting former President Donald Trump’s use of a digitally fabricated image of her.
The state Senate bill represents one of the most politically charged issues on Newsom’s desk this year. If enacted, it would implement groundbreaking policies and set national standards for AI regulation. The bill faces opposition from powerful figures in Silicon Valley, such as OpenAI and A16Z, as well as from Democratic leaders like Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
While the bill may not have immediate implications for Hollywood, the involvement of celebrities indicates that it symbolizes the pro-regulation aspect of the larger AI debate.
The governor has evaded questions regarding Wiener’s bill over recent months but has expressed support for regulating deepfakes. In July, he criticized an altered video that presented an AI-generated version of Vice President Kamala Harris, stating that “manipulating a voice in an ‘ad’ like this one should be illegal” and indicating his intention to sign a bill that addresses this issue.
This drew a playful response from X owner and provocateur Elon Musk, who, notably, is now backing Wiener’s bill.
Though Newsom did not specify which AI legislation he aimed to sign, several proposals addressing unauthorized replication are in front of him. One bill from Democratic Assemblymember Ash Kalra, co-sponsored by the California Labor Federation, would establish new regulations regarding the use of digital replicas in performer contracts. Another bill from Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, backed by SAG-AFTRA, would empower the estates of deceased celebrities to sue for unauthorized digital replicas.
“Hollywood and the entertainment industry are an entry point for Californians to understand why this is important,” Kalra stated in an interview with PMG. “These are folks that they can relate to. They know who they are and they recognize why it's important.”
Additionally, there are two bills aimed at addressing campaign deepfakes. One, by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, would prohibit the distribution of misleading campaign materials. A complementary bill from Assemblymembers Marc Berman and Pellerin would mandate large online platforms like X to remove deceptive, digitally-created election-related content during specific periods before and after an election.
The California legislation could become a topic of discussion at two high-profile AI events on Tuesday.
In Washington, PMG is hosting an AI & Tech summit that will feature exclusive discussions with leading tech figures, officials, and lawmakers. PMG’s Steven Overly will interview California GOP Rep. Jay Obernolte, co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force on AI and one of the few AI experts in Congress.
Meanwhile, downtown San Francisco will once again host Dreamforce, the multi-day tech conference organized by Salesforce founder Marc Benioff. Mayor London Breed heralded the event on Monday, noting its expected economic impact of nearly $93 million, and dubbed San Francisco the “AI hub of the world.”
Like this content? Consider signing up for PMG’s California Playbook newsletter.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
Following a significant win against studios' use of artificial intelligence last year, actors in Tinseltown are now stepping into one of the country's most prominent debates about the future of AI. A growing number of them are supporting a bill that mandates large-scale AI models to undergo safety testing prior to deployment.
Authored by a San Francisco Democrat, the bill is currently on the governor's desk and he has until Sept. 30 to either sign or veto it.
State Sen. Scott Wiener’s legislation may seem unrelated to the digital replicas that dominated last year’s five-month strike. However, in the past week, it has gained the endorsement of the powerful actors' union SAG-AFTRA and drawn attention from celebrities such as Mark Ruffalo, Sean Astin, and Rosie Perez. They view this legislation as a vital safeguard against a potent technology and are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to approve it.
“AI is about to explode in a way [where] we have no idea what the consequences are,” Ruffalo said in a video posted to X over the weekend. “Gov. Newsom, please do the right thing, don’t bow to the billionaires — protect us.”
In recent months, artificial intelligence has emerged as a contentious political topic, particularly for celebrities who have seen their voices and likenesses replicated digitally without their consent. Taylor Swift cited AI deepfakes as one of the reasons she endorsed Kamala Harris, as she mentioned in an Instagram post last week, highlighting former President Donald Trump’s use of a digitally fabricated image of her.
The state Senate bill represents one of the most politically charged issues on Newsom’s desk this year. If enacted, it would implement groundbreaking policies and set national standards for AI regulation. The bill faces opposition from powerful figures in Silicon Valley, such as OpenAI and A16Z, as well as from Democratic leaders like Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
While the bill may not have immediate implications for Hollywood, the involvement of celebrities indicates that it symbolizes the pro-regulation aspect of the larger AI debate.
The governor has evaded questions regarding Wiener’s bill over recent months but has expressed support for regulating deepfakes. In July, he criticized an altered video that presented an AI-generated version of Vice President Kamala Harris, stating that “manipulating a voice in an ‘ad’ like this one should be illegal” and indicating his intention to sign a bill that addresses this issue.
This drew a playful response from X owner and provocateur Elon Musk, who, notably, is now backing Wiener’s bill.
Though Newsom did not specify which AI legislation he aimed to sign, several proposals addressing unauthorized replication are in front of him. One bill from Democratic Assemblymember Ash Kalra, co-sponsored by the California Labor Federation, would establish new regulations regarding the use of digital replicas in performer contracts. Another bill from Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, backed by SAG-AFTRA, would empower the estates of deceased celebrities to sue for unauthorized digital replicas.
“Hollywood and the entertainment industry are an entry point for Californians to understand why this is important,” Kalra stated in an interview with PMG. “These are folks that they can relate to. They know who they are and they recognize why it's important.”
Additionally, there are two bills aimed at addressing campaign deepfakes. One, by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, would prohibit the distribution of misleading campaign materials. A complementary bill from Assemblymembers Marc Berman and Pellerin would mandate large online platforms like X to remove deceptive, digitally-created election-related content during specific periods before and after an election.
The California legislation could become a topic of discussion at two high-profile AI events on Tuesday.
In Washington, PMG is hosting an AI & Tech summit that will feature exclusive discussions with leading tech figures, officials, and lawmakers. PMG’s Steven Overly will interview California GOP Rep. Jay Obernolte, co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force on AI and one of the few AI experts in Congress.
Meanwhile, downtown San Francisco will once again host Dreamforce, the multi-day tech conference organized by Salesforce founder Marc Benioff. Mayor London Breed heralded the event on Monday, noting its expected economic impact of nearly $93 million, and dubbed San Francisco the “AI hub of the world.”
Like this content? Consider signing up for PMG’s California Playbook newsletter.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
