{"slug": "gavin-newsoms-ai-kill-switch-is-good-persuasion-ridiculous-policy", "title": "Gavin Newsom’s AI ‘kill switch’ is good persuasion, ridiculous policy", "summary": "California Governor Gavin Newsom's executive order calling for an AI \"kill switch\" is a political ploy rather than viable policy, according to a New York Post opinion piece, which notes the idea recycles failed legislation from more than 15 years ago that would have let the president disrupt the internet. The piece argues no one has resolved how such a switch would work legally or technically, asking who would appoint the proposed \"third party\" controller and warning that self-programming AIs could delete software switches or move to another data center to evade a hardware one. It concludes the proposal should push the White House to better sell the public on American AI dominance, with President Donald Trump bullish on AI for leadership and national security reasons.", "body_md": "Gavin Newsom’s executive order [calling for a “kill switch” for AI](https://nypost.com/2026/09/18/us-news/gavin-newsom-seeks-kill-switch-for-ai-in-new-executive-order/) is nothing new.\n\nIt recycles an old idea from more than 15 years ago, when “the internet” was still big and scary to many people.\n\nBack then, several senators proposed legislation to allow the president to flip a “kill switch” to disrupt the Internet.\n\nThe idea took hold in the public imagination; it even featured in an episode of “South Park,” where Kyle “unplugs” the Internet.\n\nBut the bill never passed, because no one could figure out how it would work, legally or technically — and nothing has changed.\n\nNewsom suggests a “third party” will control the “kill switch”: Who would that be?\n\nWho would appoint the “third party”? Who would control it?\n\nAnd wouldn’t a “kill switch” represent a new threat?\n\nWouldn’t something more powerful than all the AI companies just be something new to fear?\n\nAnd what of the implications for free speech? For data security?\n\nWhen someone flips the “kill switch,” how much work would be destroyed? How many businesses would lose their products?\n\nNone of this seems particularly well thought-out. It’s just designed to grab public attention.\n\nNewsom’s “solution” isn’t even meaningfully *possible:* We’re talking about self-programming AIs, which could just delete any software “switch,” and jump to a different data center to evade a hardware one.\n\nThe only way the “kill switch” works is as a *political* ploy.\n\nYou can almost visualize it — a giant red wall switch, or perhaps a lever: something a hero would pull in an action movie as he or she leaps across the room, just in time to save the world from the evil Terminator robots.\n\nThat’s as cartoonish as “South Park,” but a hard image to forget.\n\nLike it or not, every potential Democratic presidential primary candidate will have to figure out how to react to Newsom’s “kill switch” schtick\n\nAs will President Donald Trump.\n\nThe [prez has been bullish on AI](https://nypost.com/2026/09/13/tech/trump-brushes-off-ai-doom-predictions-says-us-must-push-ahead/), in terms of both American leadership and national security.\n\nHe’s right that we can’t afford to fall behind China.\n\nBut maybe he’s been a little tone-deaf when it comes to public anxiety about the new technology.\n\nNewsom is taking that anxiety and exploiting it. Even the word “kill” conjures some terrifying confrontation.\n\nIt’s great persuasion. It’s also terrible policy.\n\nThe “kill switch” should be a wake-up call to the White House: Do a better job of selling the public on American AI dominance.\n\nWe can’t let “South Park” write the script.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/gavin-newsoms-ai-kill-switch-is-good-persuasion-ridiculous-policy", "canonical_source": "https://nypost.com/2026/09/18/opinion/newsoms-ai-kill-switch-is-good-persuasion-ridiculous-policy/", "published_at": "2026-09-18 22:14:45+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-18 22:23:58.138792+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy", "ai-safety", "artificial-intelligence"], "entities": ["Gavin Newsom", "Donald Trump", "New York Post", "South Park", "China", "White House"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/gavin-newsoms-ai-kill-switch-is-good-persuasion-ridiculous-policy", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/gavin-newsoms-ai-kill-switch-is-good-persuasion-ridiculous-policy.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/gavin-newsoms-ai-kill-switch-is-good-persuasion-ridiculous-policy.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/gavin-newsoms-ai-kill-switch-is-good-persuasion-ridiculous-policy.jsonld"}}