For Immediate Release
Contact: John Myers
john.myers@calchamber.com | press@calchamber.com

(January 15, 2026) SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Foundation for Commerce & Education, in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the Livermore Lab Foundation (LLF) today released an educational brief on the relationship between AI and California, designed to provide state lawmakers with science-based context as they consider AI policy decisions.

The primer is intended to be a practical, science-based reference to support constructive dialogue among legislators, government officials, industry and the research community and does not advocate for specific legislation or agency actions.

Titled “AI in Eight Pages: Bridging Technology to Policy through Science,” the report distills complex technical, economic and societal dimensions of AI into an accessible, unbiased resource to help inform state legislators and government leaders as they navigate fast-moving public debate. The release of the collaborative report and legislative briefing by LLNL AI researchers in Sacramento mark a coordinated effort between a prominent member of California’s scientific community and business leaders to aid AI policymaking discussions with the necessary data-driven technical context.

The report was authored by LLNL researchers with funding from LLF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting LLNL’s science and research initiatives, and the support of the CFCE — a nonprofit organization affiliated with the California Chamber of Commerce. It is intended to inform state lawmakers as they weigh innovation, economic competitiveness and safeguards around emerging AI technologies. California’s position as a global center of AI development gives the state both opportunities and responsibilities, the report notes. With the majority of the nation’s AI investment concentrated in California, policy choices made today will likely shape workforce impacts, infrastructure demands and public trust in AI systems.

“AI policy decisions are increasingly time-sensitive and often lack shared technical grounding,” said LLNL’s Data Science Institute Director Brian Giera, who contributed to the report and co-presented it to lawmakers. “Our goal with this brief is to provide leaders who are navigating the complexity of AI with practical, science-driven information that supports responsible and timely action.”

“Understanding the policy dimensions of AI has never been more critical for California’s economic future and global competitiveness,” said CFCE President Luis Quiñonez. “This groundbreaking collaboration with LLNL represents a unique effort to translate world-class scientific expertise into practical guidance for policymakers. By bridging the gap between cutting-edge AI research and legislative decision-making, this report provides California’s leaders with the science-based foundation they need to shape responsible AI policy in real-time.”

“This highly anticipated report is intended to support informed decision-making by demystifying important topics around how AI systems work, where risks may arise and explore how governance can keep pace with innovation,” added Cindy Gonzales, LLNL’s Data Science Institute deputy director and report co-author.

The eight-page publication explains why AI adoption has accelerated, outlines economic opportunities across key California sectors and examines risks including bias, misinformation, system failures and security vulnerabilities. It also highlights real-world uses in manufacturing, healthcare, energy, transportation and public services.

Established in 2016, LLF provides mechanisms for public and private investments, grants and philanthropic gifts that support research, innovation, workforce and STEM education initiatives at LLNL.

“The Livermore Lab Foundation exists to champion efforts like this — connecting world-class LLNL science with the public sphere,” added LLF Executive Director Sally Allen. “This report is a prime example of how to translate complex AI concepts into actionable insights, fostering better outcomes through a rigorous, science-based approach.”

A central theme of the report is the importance of increased and consistent collaboration between technical experts and policymakers. The authors emphasize that effective AI governance involves linking core technical pillars — data, compute, models and deployment — with safeguards that promote transparency, safety and accountability without constraining responsible innovation.

The report was co-authored by LLNL researchers Giera, Gonzales and Caspar Donnison, and can be found here.

About the California Foundation for Commerce and Education

The California Foundation for Commerce and Education is affiliated with the California Chamber of Commerce and serves as a “think tank” for the California business community. The Foundation is dedicated to preserving and strengthening the California business climate and private enterprise through accurate, impartial and objective research and analysis of public policy issues of interest to the California business and public policy communities.

News Media Expert Calls Instead for Structural Changes to Support California Newspaper Industry

SACRAMENTO, CA — Proposed legislation to tax internet providers for sharing news stories will create new barriers to access information and “break the fundamental structure of the web,” according to a new paper authored by media expert Jeff Jarvis and released today by the California Foundation for Commerce and Education (CFCE).

The California Journalism Preservation Act: Analysis and Alternatives, is the most comprehensive analysis of the potential impact of The California Journalism Preservation Act—AB 886 (Wicks; D-Oakland). The legislation will also force internet platforms to pay publishers for the right and privilege of quoting news headlines and linking to their news sites, and requires internet platforms to submit to arbitration to determine the level of support that would be paid to journalism providers.

“The newspaper industry is struggling and looking for a lifeline,” said Jarvis, the Leonard Tow Professor of Journalism Innovation and director of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at the City University of New York’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism (Emeritus as of August 2024). “But the proposed legislation is a fundamentally flawed and counterproductive manner in which to try to resuscitate it.”

Jarvis notes in the paper that by demanding payment for quoting and linking to content, publishers are seeking an extension of copyright and a diminishment of fair use — generally known as “ancillary copyright.”

According to Jarvis, “These so-called link taxes violate copyright law by diminishing long-held principles of fair use. They are constitutionally questionable, impinging on the First Amendment rights of internet platforms to choose what they carry. Link laws are widely seen by internet advocates as breaking the fundamental structure of the web.”

The new paper reviews the history of the news industry, the reasons for the financial decline of newspapers, and the failed attempts by Canada, Australia, and other countries to revive the news industry through taxes on internet use. The paper also presents options and perspectives about what the state needs to support the information ecosphere and the alternatives that are available to set a long-term course for the news media.

In addition to the questionable legal foundation of the link tax, the paper found:

• Links do not harm but actually benefit publishers. According to Jarvis, “When search engines link to news sites and when readers, journalists, and publishers post links to articles on social media, the platforms are not stealing content, as publishers and their lobbyists contend…The platforms are instead sending readers to articles on publishers’ sites; they are giving publishers free promotion. What happens once a reader arrives at a publisher’s site is up to the publisher.”
• The CJPA would primarily benefit national and international media far more than California-owned news outlets, particularly California’s ethnic outlets and community newspapers since the bill does not require that a news organization be based in California or serve primarily California residents.
• The link tax would be susceptible to manipulation by extremist propaganda outlets masquerading as news, setting up a perverse incentive to fill the web with more clickbait in order to receive more funding. Similar to the link tax efforts in other countries, AB 886 would result in greater harm to the information ecosystem and the internet.

The paper offers several alternative frameworks and ideas for California’s newspaper industry and recommends that the central focus of policymakers should be the best interests of communities, not just publishers. Jarvis recommends that the state undertake an independent paper that considers how to transition the industry and encourage growth in quality news. Some of the alternatives include the continuation of state advertising, requirements to use newspapers for public notice, tax credits for hiring journalists, public financing of media, and news sharing resources.

Jarvis is a nationally recognized expert on new business models for the news industry. His experience includes his tenure on a digital advisory board for Digital First Media and working for the Hearst Corporation at the old San Francisco Examiner and the Tribune Company, former owner of the Los Angeles Times.

The paper was commissioned by the California Foundation for Commerce and Education, a 501(c)(3) think tank affiliated with the California Chamber of Commerce.

The report can be found here.

About the California Foundation for Commerce and Education
The California Foundation for Commerce and Education is affiliated with the California Chamber of Commerce and serves as a “think tank” for the California business community. The Foundation is dedicated to preserving and strengthening the California business climate and private enterprise through accurate, impartial and objective research and analysis of public policy issues of interest to the California business and public policy communities.

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