California Gov. Newsom signs laws limiting AI surveillance and automated firings

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed a package of laws aimed at protecting workers from the risks of artificial intelligence, including job losses and workplace surveillance. The measures bar employers from using AI to predict a worker's emotional state from biometric data, prohibit relying on AI to make firing decisions, and require written notice to workers when AI is responsible for mass layoffs.

Newsom also signed an executive order requiring state agencies to continue using the term "artificial intelligence" rather than "super intelligence," the phrase President Donald Trump recently directed U.S. diplomats to use. In a statement, Newsom said AI should expand opportunity, not come at the expense of workers and families, and that California is putting people at the center as the technology reshapes the workplace.

At a press event on Wednesday, Newsom criticized the federal government for not passing comprehensive AI regulations amid warnings from industry leaders about the technology's risks. He noted Trump's statement on Sept. 29 that top tech executives had signed a voluntary accord to self-police AI development. In September, Newsom also signed a law requiring operators of AI chatbots to conduct risk assessments before launching, and an executive order directing the state to consult experts to strengthen oversight of the industry. He said California has to do more in the absence of federal leadership, leaving open the possibility of calling lawmakers back for a special session.