California signs No Robo Bosses Act on automated firing

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 947, known as the “No Robo Bosses Act,” restricting employers from relying solely on automated systems to discipline or fire workers.

Under the law, an employer making such a decision must involve a human. That person cannot simply approve the automated system’s decision; they must also provide their own evidence to support it.

SB 947 was one of at least 13 AI-related bills Newsom signed in a package addressing areas including employment and education. The California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO President Lorena Gonzalez said the package’s first-in-the-nation bills establish safeguards for AI at work, including human oversight and limits on surveillance.

Newsom said the state must do more in the absence of federal leadership. The source links his remarks to a reference to President Trump’s decision to rename artificial intelligence “super intelligence.”

Although Newsom signed SB 947 on September 30, 2026, it is not scheduled to take effect until July 1, 2027.