Hollywood stars rally for California’s AI safety bill

Hollywood is taking on Silicon Valley in a high-stakes standoff over California’s landmark AI safety bill, SB 1047.

On Tuesday, more than 125 Hollywood figures—including Jane Fonda, Pedro Pascal, J.J. Abrams, and Shonda Rhimes—published an open letter urging Governor Gavin Newsom to sign the controversial legislation before his September 30th deadline. The bill, which passed the state legislature in August, would require developers of the largest AI models to implement safeguards against catastrophic events like severe cyberattacks or biological threats.

Star power takes on Big Tech

Hollywood's creative class was among the first to feel the fallout from generative AI, from the 118-day actors' strike in 2023 to OpenAI's controversial imitation of Scarlett Johansson's voice. Newsom recently signed two state bills directly targeting nonconsensual digital replicas and deepfakes to protect performers.

Yet the new open letter isn't asking for more industry protections. Organized heavily by SAG-AFTRA members and leadership—including president Fran Drescher—the signatories argue that SB 1047 is about protecting everyone, not just artists.

Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin even sent an individual letter to Newsom, pointing out that SB 1047 is the only pending legislation aimed at regulating the massive compute clusters and frontier models operated by tech conglomerates. Grey’s Anatomy actor Jason Winston George called actors the canaries in the coal mine, likening deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton's warnings about catastrophic AI risk to Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.

Newsom caught in the crossfire

Newsom now faces a bruising political dilemma between the two industries that define California’s global profile: entertainment and technology.

Because California is home to the world’s top five generative AI companies, SB 1047 would act as a de facto national safety standard. That prospect has triggered an intense lobbying war. The opposition includes Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, eight California congressional Democrats, and the bulk of Silicon Valley. Supporters feature SAG-AFTRA, SEIU, Geoffrey Hinton, and Elon Musk.

Newsom has sounded skeptical in recent public appearances. Speaking with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff at Dreamforce, Newsom warned that the bill could have a chilling effect on open-source innovation and undermine the state's competitive edge in AI.

Why it matters

Hollywood crossing over from creative copyright fights into frontier model safety marks a dramatic shift in how AI regulation is debated in the US. By framing SB 1047 as a public safety issue rather than a labor dispute, the entertainment industry is actively countering Silicon Valley’s narrative that regulation will kill innovation.

For tech companies, Newsom's decision will set the immediate trajectory of US AI oversight. If he signs it, frontier model developers will be legally forced to adopt liability and self-policing guardrails inside California, setting a baseline for the entire country. If he vetoes it, Washington’s lack of federal action means tech giants will retain free rein through voluntary pledges, likely deepening public skepticism toward the companies training tomorrow’s most capable models.

We think Hollywood played this hand brilliantly: by framing their support around existential safety rather than actor paychecks, they boxed Newsom into choosing between protecting Silicon Valley's dominance and appeasing the very cultural figures who helped him defeat his 2021 recall. The clock is ticking.