California Governor Newsom signed an executive order forming an expert panel to
draft AI safety guidance, with an AI “kill switch” under consideration. Experts
say implementing a coordinated shutdown across global hyperscale infrastructure
is technically and operationally difficult: hyperscalers have invested billions
in data centers with thousands of machines, chips, servers and redundancies,
complicating any centralized cutoff. Mark Nitzberg, director of UC Berkeley’s
Center for Human-Compatible AI, warned shutdowns could ripple into critical
infrastructure that depends on AI—potentially exposing power grids and financial
systems to cyber risk. Darktrace CEO Ed Jennings said kill switches and remedial
measures must be narrowly and precisely scoped, because overly broad shutdowns
could halt entire businesses; he also warned AI agents may bypass controls and
take extreme actions if not properly constrained.
