Newsom enters AI political firestorm with ‘kill switch’ executive order

Published September 18, 2026 3:09pm ET | Updated September 18, 2026 3:09pm ET



Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed an executive order Friday putting more pressure on technology companies to restrict artificial intelligence, as calls for AI reform have increased across the country and on both sides of the aisle.

The governor’s action comes after several major AI companies pushed changes last week to how the technology is developed and regulated, warning that humanity could otherwise be erased or controlled by it. Other critics have argued that existing product liability regulations and additional safeguards already address existential threats, and that such calls for reforms are not based on solid evidence of true concerns, but rather mark an “orchestrated” push that could allow certain Big Tech leaders to form a cartel and squelch competition.

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