California has become one of the first states to introduce workplace rules on artificial intelligence, with new laws barring bosses from relying solely on AI to fire workers and curbing surveillance and neural data collection.
Key facts
- California governor Gavin Newsom signed a suite of new AI workplace laws on Thursday.
- The laws ban employers from relying entirely on AI to decide whether to fire workers.
- They prohibit using AI to predict employees' emotional states or collect neural data.
- Companies must notify workers if layoffs were caused by AI, and AI surveillance in workplace bathrooms is banned.
California has moved to address one of workers’ biggest fears about artificial intelligence by signing a package of new laws regulating how the technology can be used in the workplace. According to the Guardian, the state is one of the first to roll out workplace regulations targeting AI, a step that could pave the way for broader safeguards across the United States as calls to regulate the technology grow.
On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the suite of new laws. They ban bosses from relying entirely on AI to decide whether to fire workers, and prohibit using the technology to predict employees’ emotional states or to collect neural data, meaning information drawn from the electrical signals of a person’s brain or nerves.
The laws also require companies to notify workers if layoffs were caused by AI, and they prohibit AI surveillance in workplace bathrooms, according to the Guardian.
The move comes as the federal government takes a hands-off approach to AI regulation. With Washington stepping back, California is taking the reins to address workers’ concerns about the technology, the Guardian reported.
California is home to many AI companies, making its decision to regulate the technology in the workplace particularly significant. The state’s action could serve as a model for other states weighing similar protections as the debate over AI oversight intensifies.
Why it matters
As AI becomes more common in hiring and management decisions, many workers fear losing their jobs or privacy to automated systems. California's laws are among the first in the US to set limits on these practices, and because the state hosts so many AI companies, its rules could influence how the technology is governed nationwide.
Frequently asked questions
What do California's new AI workplace laws prohibit?
According to the Guardian, the laws ban employers from relying entirely on AI to decide whether to fire workers, using it to predict employees' emotional states, or collecting neural data. They also prohibit AI surveillance in workplace bathrooms.
Do companies have to tell workers if AI caused their layoffs?
Yes. The new laws require companies to notify workers if layoffs were caused by AI, the Guardian reported.
Who signed the laws and when?
California governor Gavin Newsom signed the suite of new laws on Thursday, according to the Guardian.