There · Wired
There’s a Long-Shot Proposal to Protect California Workers From AI
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 4 outlets. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
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Billionaire California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer is rolling out a new proposal that would guarantee jobs with benefits for workers displaced by artificial intelligence.
Key facts
- Steyer’s announcement comes days after Democratic primary opponent Xavier Becerra—former Health and Human Services secretary under president Joe Biden—offered his own AI plan
- In December, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that could revoke federal broadband funding from states that approve “onerous” AI laws
- Billionaire California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer is rolling out a new proposal that would guarantee jobs with benefits for workers displaced by artificial intelligence
- In Congress, there are a handful of proposals for grants and tax credits for companies to provide AI training to existing employees
Summary
The plan, which builds on a broader AI policy framework Steyer released in March, promises to make California “the first major economy in the world” to ensure “good-paying” jobs to workers impacted by AI. “The aim of the initiative will be to strengthen the foundation of the state’s economy, invest in our communities, and create beautiful, vibrant public spaces,” states a campaign memo viewed by WIRED. The new plan also intends to expand unemployment insurance and establish a new agency called the AI Worker Protection Administration that would include union leaders, academics, and technologists that would adopt rules to protect workers’ rights, the memo says. “People all over this state are terrified that AI is going to hollow out this whole economy and they’re going to lose their jobs.