1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

California needs to pass comprehensive AI regulation immediately. Our state has always led the nation on technology policy, and we cannot afford to wait while AI systems erode our ability to think critically. New research from the University of Pennsylvania reveals a disturbing pattern they call "cognitive surrender." In studies with over 1,300 participants, people accepted faulty AI reasoning 73% of the time and only corrected it 20% of the time. Even when the AI was wrong half the time, users showed 12% higher confidence in their answers. When AI gave accurate responses, users accepted them 93% of the time. When AI was wrong, they still accepted it 80% of the time. This isn't about banning AI. It's about requiring transparency when AI systems are making decisions that affect people's lives. We need mandatory disclosure when AI is being used, accuracy standards for high-stakes applications, and protections against systems designed to maximize uncritical acceptance through confident, fluent outputs. The research shows that time pressure makes cognitive surrender worse while incentives and feedback help people catch AI errors. California should require these safeguards in consumer-facing AI applications. Pass strong AI regulation this session.