CALIFORNIA NEWSWIRE (SAN FRANCISCO) — NEWS: Today, Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to strengthen California’s procurement processes and raise the bar for artificial intelligence companies seeking to do business with the state. The order aims to ensure that companies meet strong standards and demonstrate responsible policies that prevent misuse of their technology, while protecting users’ safety and privacy.
Unlike the Trump administration, California remains committed to ensuring that AI solutions adopted and deployed by the largest state in the nation and 4th largest economy in the world cannot be misused by bad actors seeking to exploit their users’ data, subvert their security, and violate their civil rights.
“California’s always been the birthplace of innovation. But we also understand the flip side: in the wrong hands, innovation can be misused in ways that put people at risk. California leads in AI, and we’re going to use every tool we have to ensure companies protect people’s rights, not exploit them or put them in harm’s way. While others in Washington are designing policy and creating contracts in the shadow of misuse, we’re focused on doing this the right way,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.
The order also commits to expanding California’s use of GenAI to help deliver improved state services, including a new AI-directed tool to help Californians navigate available programs and benefits by life event, such as starting a business or finding a job. The executive order can be viewed here.
California is the fourth-largest economy in the world, the birthplace of tech, and the top pipeline for tech talent, and has demonstrated its ability to responsibly advance innovation and safeguards — helping everyone from the nation’s largest valued tech companies to pre-seed startups to thrive.
California’s tech leadership
The announcement follows the Trump administration’s recent contracting missteps and attempts to require companies to violate their users’ privacy and civil rights and to deploy technologies that would put individuals’ safety at risk. Meanwhile, California is taking a different approach.
Governor Newsom’s order will direct the Government Operations Agency to develop a plan for new state contracting processes and best practices that vet companies based in part on how they attest and explain their policies and safeguards to protect the public from the following with regard to their technology:
* Exploitation or distribution of illegal content
* Models that display bias or lack technology to prevent such bias
* Violations of civil rights and free speech
The order will also enable the state to separate its procurement authorization process from the federal government’s if needed and direct the state to leverage AI to improve government service delivery, increase transparency, and strengthen accountability.
The Governor also directs the California Department of Technology to create recommendations and best practices for watermarking AI-generated images or manipulated video consistent with state law — the first of its kind nationwide.
Read the full executive order here (PDF): https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.30-FINAL-Trusted-AI-Procurement-EO-N-5-26.pdf
