California lawmakers are advancing multiple legislative efforts to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) amid growing concerns over safety, transparency, and ethical use. Senator Scott Wiener is expanding his AI bill, SB 53, to enhance transparency, accountability, and industrial policy for AI development in the state. This bill aims to build public trust and mitigate risks associated with AI technologies. Additionally, SB 243 proposes safety regulations specifically for AI companion chatbots, including suicide prevention protocols, usage disclosures, and third-party oversight. The California Judicial Council has also mandated that courts adopt AI policies. Meanwhile, some bills such as A.B. 412, which would have penalized small AI developers, were shelved due to criticism over their approach to transparency. Another bill, SB 420, introduces costly pre-release impact assessments for AI systems, raising concerns about barriers to innovation. At the federal level, Congress approved over $1 billion in funding for military AI and quantum technologies, signaling increased investment in advanced tech. Major AI companies including Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and xAI have secured Department of Defense contracts worth up to $200 million. However, a planned executive order could threaten these funds if companies do not comply with new regulations. In a related development, a leaked memo revealed that Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei intends to seek investment from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, despite previous statements emphasizing the need to prevent authoritarian misuse of AI. This has sparked debate over the ethical implications of such funding sources.