OpenAI backs stronger California AI safety bill after previous opposition
23 August 2026 · filed under 897fc0b9ac47
OpenAI has reversed its position on SB 53, a California artificial intelligence safety bill, and is now urging state lawmakers to strengthen the measure rather than block it, according to TechCrunch, which published the report on August 22, 2026.
Details of the specific provisions OpenAI now supports were not specified beyond the company’s shift from opposition to advocacy for a tougher bill. TechCrunch’s report frames this as a notable reversal, given OpenAI’s earlier resistance to the legislation.
The report situates OpenAI’s move within a broader pattern among leading artificial intelligence developers, whose public positions on state-level safety regulation have shifted over the course of 2026. TechCrunch does not detail the company’s stated reasons for the change beyond the fact of its occurrence.
No timeline for the bill’s passage or amendment was given in the source material, nor was there comment from California legislators or other stakeholders included in the report as summarized.
The development marks a change in posture from one of the industry’s most closely watched laboratories, whose regulatory stance is often read as an indicator of where the broader sector may be heading on questions of oversight. Further specifics on the bill’s language and OpenAI’s proposed strengthening measures were not included in the available report.