The Conflict of Interest at the Heart of CA's AI Bill

The article discusses a potential conflict of interest involving Dan Hendrycks, an executive at the Center for AI Safety (CAIS) which co-sponsored California's controversial AI safety bill (SB 1047) and co-founded Gray Swan, an AI safety compliance company. The bill, criticized for potentially stifling innovation, mandates third-party audits of large AI models. Gray Swan's products, Shade and Cygnet, seem tailored for this regulatory environment. Hendrycks' involvement in drafting the bill and his company's offerings raise concerns about benefiting financially from a market created by the legislation. Despite Hendrycks' claims that Gray Swan won't offer audits mandated by SB 1047, the company's tools could facilitate such audits. Hendrycks' dual roles as a co-founder of Gray Swan and an advocate for the bill raise questions about conflicts of interest. The article highlights the potential power Gray Swan could wield in setting AI safety standards and enforcement mechanisms. Hendrycks' statements regarding Gray Swan's intentions and his involvement in compliance efforts are viewed skeptically, given the company's recent contract with the UK government.