JobsCalifornia bars employers from firing or disciplining workers on AI alone

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 947, the so-called No Robo Bosses Act, on September 30. When an employer relies primarily on AI output to fire or discipline someone, a human must corroborate the decision with other material such as managerial evaluations, peer reviews and personnel files. The affected employee gets written notice that AI was primarily used, a description of the data it used, and a human contact who can explain the decision. CNBC called it the first such law in the nation.

Newsom vetoed a similar bill last October. The version reintroduced in February dropped the advance-notice requirement and the language covering gig workers. Business groups still opposed it to the end, saying the "primarily relies" standard is never defined. According to AP, Newsom also signed laws the same day banning employers from using biometric data to infer workers' emotions and requiring risk assessments from AI chatbot operators before deployment.