Questions on artificial intelligence and a budget deficit await returning California lawmakers

By TRÂN NGUYỄN and ADAM BEAM
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers are returning to work for an election-year legislative session. The state Legislature is scheduled to convene Wednesday. The session will likely be dominated by decisions related to artificial intelligence and the state’s struggling budget. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office says California will likely have a $68 billion budget deficit. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom must reveal his plan to cover that deficit by Jan. 10. The deficit could prompt hard choices for lawmakers in an election year. Multiple legislators have pledged to introduce bills regulating artificial intelligence, with California companies at the forefront of the new technology.