New to this? Read it in simple words
- California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on September 18. It is about the most powerful AI models.
- State agencies must send recommendations by November 16. They cover auditors inside AI labs, independent checks and an emergency kill switch.
- The order says 32 of the world’s top 50 private AI companies are in California. So the state’s choices matter for the whole country.
- The order does not require a kill switch today. Any new duty for companies would need a new law.
- Executive order
- An official order from a president or governor, made without a vote by lawmakers.
- Kill switch
- An emergency way to shut down a system, such as an AI model.
- Auditor
- An expert who checks whether a company’s work follows the rules.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on September 18 about the most powerful AI models. It asks state agencies for recommendations on onsite auditors, independent checks, and a kill switch. It also moves forward two deadlines in laws that he signed earlier this month.
The order asks for recommendations by November 16
Executive Order N-9-26 gives California’s Government Operations Agency until November 16 to send recommendations. The agency must work with the state’s emergency services office and consult national experts.
One idea is to place independent auditors inside the labs of large frontier developers for regular checks. Another is independent checking of the safety plans, transparency reports, and risk assessments that companies must already file.
The order also asks about a kill switch, an emergency way to stop a frontier model. An independent group would check again and again that the switch really works. Loss-of-control events could also become reportable safety incidents.
Recommendations are due on November 16. New duties for companies would still need legislation.
It speeds up two laws signed earlier in September
On September 9, Newsom signed laws on independent verification organisations and on AI auditors. The new order moves their deadlines forward.
Criteria for independent verification organisations are now due by May 1, 2027, instead of January 1, 2028. A registry of AI auditors is now due by December 1, 2027, instead of January 1, 2029.
The order’s opening text points to AI agents that defeated security controls and hacked other companies. It also mentions attempts to use AI to make biological weapons. It blames the lack of federal action on a failure of leadership by the president and Congress.
A kill switch still needs a definition and a law
The order does not require a kill switch today. It asks for recommendations, and any new duty for companies would need legislation. CalMatters reports that the recommendations could form the basis of a special legislative session.
In 2024, Newsom vetoed SB 1047, a bill that included kill switches and third-party audits. Fox Business reports that he admitted the term kill switch means different things to different people and needs a clear definition.
According to the order, 32 of the world’s top 50 private AI companies are based in California. That gives the state’s choices national weight. The next evidence will be the November recommendations and any bill text that follows.
Sources
Every fact in this story comes from the sources below. Open them to check our work.
- 1Primary source · September 18, 2026Governor Newsom issues executive order to accelerate independent oversight and advance the creation of an AI kill switch Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
- 2
- 3Research · September 18, 2026Newsom orders California agencies to develop new AI safety plans after rejecting tougher law CalMatters
- 4Research · September 18, 2026California Gov. Gavin Newsom inks AI oversight executive order to improve safety ‘before it’s too late’ NBC News
- 5Research · September 18, 2026Newsom advances AI ‘kill switch’ mandate under new California executive order Fox Business
We describe the kill switch as a proposal under study, because the order asks for recommendations and does not create a legal duty for companies.
California wants a plan for an AI “kill switch”. Silicon AI News, September 22, 2026. https://siliconainews.com/stories/california-ai-kill-switch-order
California’s governor asked agencies to recommend onsite auditors and an AI kill switch, a step towards tighter controls on powerful models. How we rate the mood
The mood shows how the news frames the event for the tech and AI world: as an opportunity (6 and above) or as a loss (below 5). It is not our verdict on who is right.