California Bars AI-Only Firings Under SB 947, Requiring Human Review
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Sep 30
California Bars AI-Only Firings Under SB 947, Requiring Human Review
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Sep 30
Summary
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 947, making California the first state to bar employers from relying solely on AI to fire or discipline workers.
Under the law, companies that primarily use automated systems in those decisions must add human corroboration and give workers written notice, the data used, and a human contact.
The measure was narrowed after Newsom vetoed an earlier version in 2025, dropping advance-notice rules and gig-worker coverage that had drawn business and rideshare industry opposition.
Labor groups pushed the bill as a guardrail against AI bias and errors, while business advocates warned the undefined threshold for “primarily relies” could chill routine workplace tech use.
The law lands as U.S. employers lead in algorithmic management adoption—90% of managers report using at least one such tool—and as other states and Congress weigh similar workplace AI limits.