Anthropic and California Governor Newsom struck a deal giving all state agencies and local governments access to Claude AI at half price, with training and support included.

California is escalating its push to regulate AI across multiple fronts, cementing its role as the de facto U.S. proving ground for AI policy ahead of federal action.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order requiring AI safety and privacy guardrails for state contractors, positioning California as a counterweight to Trump's federal AI deregulation agenda.