NeuralStackCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom signed another AI-related law this week, adding a targeted transparency requirement to the state’s growing policy framework. On Wednesday, Newsom appeared at SAG-AFTRA union headquarters to sign SB 1050, a measure sponsored by Sen. Angelique Ashby.
The law requires clear disclosure when a video or audio advertisement uses performers generated by artificial intelligence, also known as synthetic performers. SAG-AFTRA was the primary advocacy group behind the bill, which the Transparency Coalition also supported.
Newsom’s action came after California enacted a raft of AI bills earlier in September. With the legislature now adjourned, the governor has until Sept. 30 to decide the fate of more than 30 AI-related measures. He has signed roughly 20 AI bills into law this year, while about a dozen others have passed and await his decision.
Why this matters
SB 1050 places disclosure at the center of the relationship between generative AI, advertising and creative work. For advertisers, agencies and media companies, the law signals that the use of realistic AI-generated performers can create transparency obligations rather than remaining an invisible production choice.
The broader legislative activity points to a fragmented but expanding state-level approach to AI governance. The Transparency Coalition’s 2026 mid-year report identified 85 new AI-related laws enacted in 27 states, covering chatbot safety, education and children’s digital lives, medical authorization and mental health, consumer rights and oversight of frontier models.
Six states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, New Jersey and North Carolina—continue to consider AI-related bills. Pennsylvania lawmakers began returning to Harrisburg this month, with the House reconvening Sept. 9 in a special Philadelphia session and the Senate scheduled to return Sept. 28.
California’s remaining decisions could add further requirements across technology and public institutions. Measures passed earlier this month address child safety on social platforms, student privacy, AI auditor registration, workplace surveillance tools that collect neural data or identify emotional states, digital health education and the use of AI in the State Bar exam.
Other California bills awaiting signature include legislation concerning customer-service chatbots. The state has also passed measures involving companion chatbots in toys, human instructors at California State University, chatbot safety and restrictions on school-issued electronic devices for kindergarten students.
The next major deadline is California’s Sept. 30 decision window, while activity in the five other states will determine how much additional AI legislation reaches enactment before the 2026 state legislative season ends.