California governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a hotly-debated artificial intelligence (AI) bill — arguing it would hinder innovation and fail to protect the public from the “real” threats raised by the tech. Newsom vetoed SB 1047 — known as the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act — on Sept. 30, which had garnered significant pushback from Silicon Valley. It proposed mandatory safety testing of AI models and other guardrails, with tech firms worried it would stifle innovation. In a Sept. 29 statement, Newsom said the bill focused too much on regulating exist…