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Gavin Newsom’s AI ‘kill switch’ is good persuasion, ridiculous policy

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CA Post Editorial Board. (2026, September 18). Gavin Newsom’s AI ‘kill switch’ is good persuasion, ridiculous policy. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/18/opinion/newsoms-ai-kill-switch-is-good-persuasion-ridiculous-policy/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

New York Post · collected 2026-09-18 · by CA Post Editorial Board

Quick Summary

Gavin Newsom issued an executive order proposing a "kill switch" for artificial intelligence, suggesting control by a third party yet unspecified in terms of who would appoint or oversee it. The article argues this proposal is largely symbolic and impractical, pointing out that self-programming AIs could easily circumvent such measures. It critiques the idea as more of a political maneuver to address public fears about AI than a viable policy solution.
Written by AI on 2026-09-19, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California and a potential 2028 presidential candidate, signed an executive order on Friday aiming to enhance oversight of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The order calls for state agencies to recommend legislative changes that would include creating a "kill switch" — an emergency shutoff system — to address concerns raised by researchers about the potential risks posed by rogue AI agents. Newsom's actions come in response to growing anxiety over rapidly advancing AI and follow recent warnings from industry insiders like Jacob Coxon, a former researcher at Anthropic.

Newsom cited the federal government’s failure to regulate AI effectively and emphasized that state action is necessary due to the lack of meaningful oversight at the national level. He also noted that several major tech companies have recently pushed for changes in how AI technology is developed and regulated. The executive order accelerates the implementation of previously signed AI-related bills and establishes a group of experts tasked with developing new safety measures within two months.

Critics argue that Newsom's proposal might not be practically implementable due to legal and technical challenges, questioning who would control such a "kill switch" and what its broader implications for free speech and data security could be. Despite these concerns, Newsom maintains that California must take decisive action before it is too late.

Written for “AI Kill Switch Order California” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 AI Kill Switch Order California
Technology · 6 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 8% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
LIZ PEEK: AI alarm bells are ringing and Trump needs to take them seriously Different event
Fox News
⚖️ Leans strongly right Hedges 4 of 38 claims Outlet record 68/100
“The articles discuss different aspects of AI regulation and concerns, not the same specific incident or time.”
Rand Paul clashes with fellow Republican over AI 'kill switch' as Senate grapples with 'Terminator' fears Different event
Fox News
Hedges 3 of 39 claims Outlet record 68/100
“Article A discusses Rand Paul's opposition to regulating AI with a 'kill switch' in the Senate, while Article B critiques Gavin Newsom’s executive order related to an AI 'kill switch'. These are different specific events involving distinct political figures and actions.”
Gavin Newsom seeks ‘kill switch’ for AI in new executive order Same event
New York Post
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 0 of 5 claims Outlet record 66/100
Newsom enters AI political firestorm with ‘kill switch’ executive order Same event
Washington Examiner
Hedges 5 of 17 claims Outlet record 69/100
California Gov. Gavin Newsom inks AI oversight executive order to improve safety ‘before it’s too late’ Same event
NBC News
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 2 of 28 claims Outlet record 78/100
California Governor signs order to explore AI 'kill switch' Same event
The Hindu
Hedges 1 of 21 claims Outlet record 60/100
Australia seeks big tech support for internet safety, AI regulation Different event
Al Jazeera
Hedges 1 of 14 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles discuss different government initiatives regarding internet safety and AI regulation in distinct contexts.”
AI Kill Switch: The Race to Control Rogue Frontier AI & AGI Models (Veterans First for America) Different event
Toronto Star
⚖️ Leans strongly right Hedges 3 of 34 claims Outlet record 64/100
“The articles discuss different aspects of AI regulation and control, with Article A focusing on Gavin Newsom's executive order for an AI 'kill switch' as a policy proposal, while Article B covers broader concerns about rogue AI models posing threats to public safety.”
Potential Democratic candidates race to respond to AI threat amid Trump's dismissals Different event
Toronto Star
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 4 of 45 claims Outlet record 64/100
“Article A discusses an executive order calling for a 'kill switch' as a recycled old idea, while Article B reports on Newsom's actions to implement existing AI oversight law and the use of kill switches.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
24
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
8%
2 of 24 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
66/100
New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
6
Technology
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-19 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

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Who wrote this

CA Post Editorial Board
74 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Inside Xavier Becerra’s secretive inner circle as Dem insiders jockey for plum gigs — before votes are even counted - From the billionaire tax to voter ID, here are the 14 measures Californians will decide in November - How California could track your miles — and what drivers might pay -
2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Steve Hilton can change California’s direction, while Karen Bass can keep LA from veering far left
🔮 Lower courts last month had declined to order the ballots set aside so that those voters’ eligibility could be double-checked before the votes were counted.
2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Question for California voters: Why not have fraud-free elections?
🔮 It could also boost oil and gas production right here in California, creating jobs, lowering energy prices and producing cleaner fuel than would be produced anywhere else in the world.
2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Gavin Newsom’s war on fossil fuels is only making your life cost more
🔮 Sanders’ real goal is to introduce a nationwide billionaire tax, which would chase entrepreneurs offshore — a disaster for America.
2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Why doesn’t Bernie Sanders try to tax billionaires in Vermont?
🔮 This year, it might be tempting to think that your vote matters even less.
2026-11-01 · assertive framing · Time to vote — the future of California hangs in the balance
🔮 Good: Admitting the need for change — obvious though it may be — is the first step toward a safer, stronger, more livable LA.
2026-10-31 · assertive framing · It took four years, but Karen Bass finally shows flashes of common sense
🔮 It might just work, because Becerra may think he has an excuse to continue funding it, under new leadership.
2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Ian Choudri’s resignation should not save high-speed rail
🔮 Even former Obama administration staffers were appalled that he might move ahead to the general election.
2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Vote Steve Hilton for California governor over establishment hack Xavier Becerra for real change
🔮 But socialist City Councilwoman Nithya Raman is an extremist who will make things even worse.
2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Experienced Karen Bass is a far better vote than radical socialist Nithya Raman in the LA mayoral race
🔮 Dolores Huerta, who died Wednesday at the age of 96, will always be remembered as a towering figure in the history of the American labor movement.
2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Dolores Huerta — labor leader who revealed Cesar Chavez’s secrets
Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.
Also by CA Post Editorial Board
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2026-11-03 · New York Post
Question for California voters: Why not have fraud-free elections?
2026-11-03 · New York Post
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2026-11-02 · New York Post
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2026-11-02 · New York Post
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 74 articles by CA Post Editorial Board →

Topics

American China Democratic Newsom Terminator

Subjects

Newsom PERSON · 4× American NORP · 2× China GPE · 1× Democratic NORP · 1× Donald Trump PERSON · 1× Gavin Newsom’s PERSON · 1× Kyle GPE · 1× the White House ORG · 1×

Narrative

You 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.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-19
🔮 The idea took hold in the public imagination; it even featured in an episode of “South Park,” where Kyle “unplugs” the Internet. But the bill never passed, because no one could figure out how it would work, legally or technically — and nothing has changed. Newsom suggests a “third party” will control the “kill switch”: Who would that be? Who would appoint the “third party”?
2026-09-19 · New York Post
Gavin Newsom’s AI ‘kill switch’ is good persuasion, ridiculous policy · assertive framing

Claims (24 extracted, 2 hedged)

Gavin Newsom’s executive order calling for a “kill switch” for AI is nothing new. asserted
order → call → AI
It recycles an old idea from more than 15 years ago, when “the internet” was still big and scary to many people. asserted
internet → recycle → people
Back then, several senators proposed legislation to allow the president to flip a “kill switch” to disrupt the Internet. asserted
president → propose → Internet
The idea took hold in the public imagination; it even featured in an episode of “South Park,” where Kyle “unplugs” the Internet. But the bill never passed, because no one could figure out how it would work, legally or technically — and nothing has changed. Newsom suggests a “third party” will control the “kill switch”: Who would that be? Who would appoint the “third party”? uncertain
Who → take → party
Who would control it? asserted
Who → control → it
And wouldn’t a “kill switch” represent a new threat? asserted
switch → represent → threat
Wouldn’t something more powerful than all the AI companies just be something new to fear? asserted
something → fear → companies
When someone flips the “kill switch,” how much work would be destroyed? asserted
work → flip → switch
How many businesses would lose their products? asserted
businesses → lose → products
None of this seems particularly well thought-out. asserted
None → seem → this
It’s just designed to grab public attention. asserted
It → design → attention
Newsom’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. uncertain
which → talk → one
The only way the “kill switch” works is as a political ploy. asserted
switch → work → ploy
You 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. asserted
he → visualize → robots
That’s as cartoonish as “South Park,” but a hard image to forget. asserted
That → ’ → Park
Like it or not, every potential Democratic presidential primary candidate will have to figure out how to react to Newsom’s “kill switch” schtick As will President Donald Trump. asserted
Trump → like → schtick
He’s right that we can’t afford to fall behind China. asserted
we → ’ → China
But maybe he’s been a little tone-deaf when it comes to public anxiety about the new technology. asserted
it → come → technology
Newsom is taking that anxiety and exploiting it. asserted
Newsom → take → it
Even the word “kill” conjures some terrifying confrontation. asserted
word → conjure → confrontation
It’s great persuasion. asserted
It → ’ → ?
It’s also terrible policy. asserted
It → ’ → ?
The “kill switch” should be a wake-up call to the White House: Do a better job of selling the public on American AI dominance. asserted
switch → wake → dominance
We can’t let “South Park” write the script. asserted
Park → let → script
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