California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the No Robo Bosses Act into law. It bans employers from relying solely on AI to fire or discipline workers. Employers must now have a human review any AI-driven termination or discipline decision. Affected workers must receive written notice of AI use in such decisions. The law also requires a description of the data used by the AI system. A human point of contact must be provided to explain the decision. Newsom had vetoed an earlier version of the bill in October 2025. The new law removes pre-notification requirements and gig worker protections. It is the first such law in the U.S. Illinois has a similar but less restrictive law in place.
What changed
Employers could rely solely on AI to fire or discipline workers in California.
What it unlocks
Workers in California now have a right to human review of AI-driven termination or discipline decisions.
- 90% of US managers use AI tools to manage workers
- 39% of Americans see AI as harmful
- 71% of Americans fear AI job loss
What you need to act on it
- employment in California
- AI used as a principal tool in disciplinary or termination decisions
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