a16z partner Martin Casado: Tired of VCs leading the AI ​​regulatory conversation, I hope academics and technologists will advance it

After a16z partner Martin Casado successfully defeated an AI safety bill in California earlier this year, he said he was tired of VCs dominating the regulatory conversation. Casado was one of the most vocal VCs to oppose SB 1047, which would have required large model makers to meet safety testing and risk mitigation requirements to curb the potentially disastrous consequences of AI, such as escalating nuclear war. The bill passed both chambers before Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it. “I’m a venture capitalist, and obviously I’m biased, right? So I should be vocal, but I shouldn’t be leading the conversation. But in that case, I was actually leading the conversation,” he said. Going forward, he hopes academics and technologists can inform policymakers. Casado joined UC computer science professor Dawn Song in the discussion of the bill. U.S. lawmakers have considered 120 federal proposals on AI in the past year, while 45 of the 50 states have proposed more than 600. Casado called California's SB 1047 the worst because it imposes liability on developers, which he worries will be like regulating software developers. (Fortune)