Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) vetoed a bill that would have established sweeping regulations on artificial intelligence, but he vowed to push forward with crafting a law putting guardrails on the emerging technology.

Newsom announced the veto on Sunday but touted other efforts the state has made to combat the misuse of AI. In his veto statement explaining why he declined to sign the bill into law, he said it is not the best way to protect from threats posed by AI.

“While well-intentioned, SB 1047 does not take into account whether an Al system is deployed in high-risk environments, involves critical decision-making or the use of sensitive data,” Newsom said. “Instead, the bill applies stringent standards to even the most basic functions — so long as a large system deploys it. I do not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats posed by the technology.”

The California governor added that he agrees the state should act before “a major catastrophe” with AI occurs, but he said the legislation presented to him is not the solution.

“California will not abandon its responsibility. Safety protocols must be adopted. Proactive guardrails should be implemented, and severe consequences for bad actors must be clear and enforceable. I do not agree, however, that to keep the public safe, we must settle for a solution that is not informed by an empirical trajectory analysis of Al systems and capabilities,” Newsom said.

The bill passed in both chambers of the state legislature with strong majorities but faced opposition from several technology companies, along with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener, who spearheaded the legislation, expressed his disappointment with Newsom’s veto, calling it a “setback.”

“This veto is a missed opportunity for California to once again lead on innovative tech regulation — just as we did around data privacy and net neutrality — and we are all less safe as a result,” Wiener said in a statement Sunday.

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Wiener also said he is looking forward to meeting with Newsom’s AI safety working group during the next legislative session.

The veto of the bill comes as federal regulations on AI, an industry that has boomed in recent years, have been slow to materialize.