California · CNBC Technology
Gavin Newsom bans AI 'robo bosses' in landmark state law, reversing his earlier veto
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California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a landmark AI law banning Golden State employers from relying solely on artificial intelligence to fire or discipline workers.
Key facts
- A July Gallup poll found that 39% of Americans believe that AI does more harm than good, an 8% increase from the 31% who felt similarly in 2025
- Some local regulations throughout the past five years have imposed restrictions on how AI can be used in employment decisions, perhaps most notably Illinois' Public Act 103-0804, which also requires
- And today, they see that begin to happen," said Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO and lead sponsor of No Robo Bosses Act, after Newsom signed it
- California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a landmark AI law banning Golden State employers from relying solely on artificial intelligence to fire or discipline workers
Summary
SB 947, dubbed the No Robo Bosses Act, prevents businesses around the state from exclusively using "automated decision-making systems" in matters of employee discipline and termination. Under the bill, employers that rely "primarily" on AI output to make termination or disciplinary decisions must now have a human reviewer corroborate those decisions using additional information, such as managerial evaluations, peer reviews, and personnel files. "No worker should ever be fired or disciplined by a machine, AI or not. McNerney, a Democrat, first introduced the act in 2025, following a concerted push by organized labor in the state to erect guardrails around management's ability to use AI in taking adverse action against workers.