California Governor Gavin Newsom signed new laws Wednesday designed to protect workers from the threats of artificial intelligence, including job losses and workplace surveillance, while criticizing the Trump administration over the lack of federal AI rules.
Key facts
- Governor Gavin Newsom signed the laws on Wednesday.
- The laws ban employers from using AI to predict a worker's emotional state via biometric data.
- Employers must send written notices to workers if AI is responsible for mass layoffs.
- Employers are banned from relying on AI to decide to fire someone.
- Newsom was sharply critical of Donald Trump for not passing comprehensive federal AI regulations.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed laws on Wednesday aimed at protecting the state’s workers from the threats posed by artificial intelligence, including potential job losses and workplace surveillance, according to the Guardian.
The measures take direct aim at how employers can deploy AI in the workplace. Under the new laws, employers are banned from using the technology to predict a worker’s emotional state by relying on their biometric data.
The package also establishes new transparency requirements. Employers will be required to send written notices to workers if AI is responsible for mass layoffs, giving affected staff clearer information about the role automation played in losing their jobs.
In addition, the laws ban employers from relying on AI to decide to fire someone, placing limits on the extent to which automated systems can drive consequential employment decisions.
The Guardian reports that Newsom, a Democrat, was sharply critical of Donald Trump for not passing comprehensive federal AI regulations, framing the state-level action against the backdrop of what he sees as inaction at the national level.
The new laws position California, home to much of the technology industry, at the forefront of efforts to regulate how AI is used in the workplace as the technology becomes more widespread.
Why it matters
As artificial intelligence spreads into hiring, management and layoffs, these laws set rules for how employers in the United States' most populous state can use the technology. With no comprehensive federal framework in place, California's approach could serve as a model for how other states respond to AI in the workplace.
Frequently asked questions
What do the new California AI laws ban?
According to the Guardian, the laws ban employers from using AI to predict a worker's emotional state through biometric data and ban employers from relying on AI to decide to fire someone.
What must employers do about AI-driven layoffs?
The laws require employers to send written notices to workers if AI is responsible for mass layoffs.
Why did Newsom criticize the Trump administration?
The Guardian reports that Newsom was sharply critical of Donald Trump for not passing comprehensive federal AI regulations.