THE ESSENTIALS IN 30 SECONDS

  • SB 947 bars employers from relying solely on an automated decision system to discipline or fire workers; it takes effect July 1, 2027.
  • SB 951 adds notice duties when AI is a main cause of a mass layoff, while AB 1883 bans workplace tools that infer emotions or collect neural data.
  • Newsom vetoed other bills, including AB 2656 on notice to public employees and SB 1130 on smart-glasses recording.

California has adopted some of the most detailed US state rules on how employers may use artificial intelligence to manage people. On September 30, the last day for him to act on bills, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of workplace AI laws. The best known is SB 947, nicknamed the "No Robo Bosses Act".

What the new laws require

Under SB 947, written by Senator Jerry McNerney, an employer may not rely only on an automated decision system to discipline or dismiss a worker. When such a system is the main basis for the decision, a human must check its output against other evidence, such as evaluations or personnel files. Employees must get written notice that the system was used, and they can ask what data it relied on. The law takes effect on July 1, 2027.

Newsom also signed several related bills:

  • SB 951 amends California's layoff-notice rules (Cal/WARN). When AI or similar technology is wholly or largely behind a mass layoff, the notice must describe the jobs affected and the type of system involved.
  • AB 1883 bans workplace surveillance tools that infer workers' emotional states or collect neural data.
  • AB 1331 limits surveillance tools in workplace bathrooms.
  • AB 1979 stops health care providers from using AI to replace the clinical judgment of licensed professionals.

What did not pass

The governor vetoed AB 2656, which would have required notice to public employees when AI performs work within their job scope. He also vetoed AB 2575, which would have protected health care workers who override AI recommendations they consider unsafe. According to The Next Web, he rejected SB 1130 on secret recording with smart glasses, saying its definition of a wearable recording device was too broad. He had vetoed an earlier robo-boss bill in 2025. The new version is narrower, and KQED notes that it does not cover rideshare drivers classified as independent contractors.

Context and open questions

The signings came a day after President Trump announced a voluntary AI safety accord with major AI companies. Newsom argued that states must act when there is no federal leadership. Separately, HR Dive reports that California Privacy Protection Agency rules on automated decision-making in employment take effect on January 1, 2027, so employers will face two overlapping regimes. Key terms, including what counts as an automated decision system and what makes human review meaningful, will be tested in practice and possibly in court.