Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter {beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story  Newsom vetoes controversial AI bill  California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) took long-awaited action on a landmark artificial intelligence (AI) bill that would have created new safety rules for the emerging tech, vetoing the contentious legislation.  © Jeff Chiu, Associated Press The veto caps off weeks of skepticism over how Newsom would act on the legislation, known as California Senate Bill 1047, or the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act. In a veto message published Sunday, the governor said the bill’s focus on the “most expensive and large-scale models” “could give the public a false sense of security about controlling” AI.   “Smaller, specialized models may emerge equally or even more dangerous than the models targeted by SB 1047 – at the potential expense of curtailing the very innovation that fuels advancement in favor of the public good,” he wrote.   The bill, known as SB 1047 for short, would have required powerful AI models to undergo safety testing before being released to the public. It also sought to hold developers liable for severe harm caused by their models. but only applied to AI models that cost more than $100 million to train  “While well-intentioned, SB 1047 does not take into account whether an AI system is deployed in high-risk environments, involves critical decision-making or the use of sensitive data,” Newsom wrote. “Instead, the bill applies stringent standards to even the most basic functions – so as long as a large system deploys it.”   California is home to 32 of the world’s “50 leading AI companies,” according to Newsom’s office, and has become a major hub for AI-related legislation as a result. Newsom emphasized his veto does not mean he does not believe there is an urgent need to act on the advancing tech to prevent major catastrophe. The bill received mixed opinions from AI startups, major technology firms, researchers and even some lawmakers who were divided over whether it would throttle the development of the technology or establish much-needed guardrails.   Read more about the veto and reactions to it at TheHill.com.   Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter, we're  Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future:   Trump says he’s spoken to Musk about getting Starlink for areas damaged by Helene Former President Trump on Monday said he’s spoken with Elon Musk about providing Starlink internet service for those without power in states ravaged by Hurricane Helene. Trump visited Valdosta, Ga., where he toured storm damage and expressed support for those dealing with the aftermath. 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