WASHINGTON — BSA Senior Vice President of US Government Relations Craig Albright issued the following statement after California legislators declined to take up and advance AB 1018, legislation on high-risk AI, before a key deadline: 

"The Business Software Alliance (BSA) applauds California lawmakers for abandoning AB 1018 and opting to take the​ time necessary to craft a better approach to high-risk AI. 

Setting clear, workable, and consistent expectations for high-risk uses of AI ultimately furthers the adoption of technology and more widely spreads its benefits. BSA believes there is a path forward that sets obligations for companies based on their different roles within the AI value chain and better focuses legislation to ensure that everyday and low-risk uses of AI are not subjected to a vague and confusing regulatory regime. 

BSA remains committed to helping lawmakers – in California, state capitals, Washington, and globally – craft thoughtful and workable approaches to AI policy that protect innovation and fuel AI adoption." 

BSA had spearheaded opposition to 1018, lodging a series of substantive objections to the legislation's broad scope, and sustaining a public campaign against the legislation.