California is on a mission to tackle the wild west of artificial intelligence regulations, but with Donald Trump back in charge, it’s turning into a game of regulatory whack-a-mole. With 30 new proposals floating around the Assembly, the Golden State is gearing up to protect civil rights from the potentially prejudiced clutches of AI.

Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan from San Ramon has been leading the charge. She’s not just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks; she’s proposed the bold Assembly Bill 1018, which, if it passes, would require AI creators to assess how their technology performs before it can be unleashed on the public. Think of it as a pre-game warm-up for AI: evaluate first, then play.

With this bill, you’d be notified if an AI is making decisions about your job, healthcare, or even that crushing student debt. And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want the power to opt-out of AI decisions that could ruin your life?

The urgency behind these bills is clear. Last year, Trump and his administration tossed aside important protections like yesterday’s newspaper, dismantling the groundwork laid by Biden to curb biased AI practices. California lawmakers are feeling the heat but are licking their wounds and charging ahead with regulations like never before.

One notable proposal is an age-old idea: requiring human drivers in commercial vehicles. Because why risk letting an untested algorithm take the wheel when we could stick to good old human error driving our trucks?

Remember the self-driving trucks? Yeah, Gavin Newsom vetoed efforts to put the brakes on that hot mess last year. It’s almost like politicians fear slowing down innovation will throw a wrench in their broader economic plans, you know, the ones that always seem to benefit the rich.

Despite opposition from large corporations threatening chaos with their lobbying powers, there’s an increasing sense that the people of California deserve protection from an unhinged AI landscape. That’s right; the majority of us want regulations that guarantee our rights in this tech-driven dystopia.

As legislators sift through the backlash from big business, it remains to be seen whether these new bills will pass muster. But one thing’s for certain: California is standing tall, holding the line against a potentially disastrous tech future as we face turbulent political headwinds from the likes of Trump.