Newsom signs 'No Robo Bosses' law and AI worker-protection package in California

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of laws on Wednesday aimed at protecting workers from the threats of artificial intelligence, including potential job losses and workplace surveillance.

The laws ban employers from using the technology to predict a worker’s emotional state through biometric data, require employers to send written notices to workers if AI is responsible for mass layoffs, and bar employers from relying on AI alone to decide to fire someone, the Associated Press reported.

The centrepiece is SB 947, the No Robo Bosses Act of 2026, authored by state Senator Jerry McNerney, which requires human oversight and verification whenever automated decision-making systems assist in termination or disciplinary decisions. The governor’s office described it as the first such law in the nation. The bill was sponsored by the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO.

“AI should expand opportunity — not come at the expense of workers and families,” Newsom said in a statement. “As this technology reshapes the workplace, California is putting people at the center.”

A separate measure, AB 1883, bans employers from collecting data on workers’ brain activity or inferring their emotional states through AI-powered surveillance tools, Bloomberg Law reported. The new law carries civil penalties of up to $500 per violation, enforced by the state labour commissioner and public prosecutors.

Newsom also signed an executive order requiring state agencies to continue referring to the technology as “artificial intelligence” rather than “super intelligence”, the term President Donald Trump recently ordered US diplomats to use.

Speaking at an hourlong event with reporters, Newsom sharply criticised Trump for the absence of comprehensive federal AI regulation, noting industry leaders themselves are warning about the technology’s risks. Trump said on Tuesday that top tech leaders had signed a voluntary accord to “self-police” AI development.

“We have to do a lot more in the absence of federal leadership,” Newsom said, leaving open the possibility of calling lawmakers back for a special session. The news conference came on his last day to sign or veto bills before he terms out in January.

Sources

• Associated Press, “California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs laws to protect workers from AI risks” (via BastillePost): https://www.bastillepost.com/global/article/6210485-california-gov-gavin-newsom-signs-laws-to-protect-workers-from-ai-risks
• Bloomberg Law, “Newsom Signs Ban on Using AI to Monitor Worker Brain Activity”: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/newsom-signs-ban-on-using-ai-to-monitor-worker-brain-activity
• Office of Senator Jerry McNerney, “Newsom Signs McNerney’s No Robo Bosses Act of 2026 Requiring Human Oversight of AI in the Workplace”: https://sd05.senate.ca.gov/news/newsom-signs-mcnerneys-no-robo-bosses-act-2026-requiring-human-oversight-ai-workplace
• The Guardian, “Gavin Newsom signs laws to protect California workers from AI threat”: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/30/gavin-newsom-california-ai-threat