2 stories

Policy & Law

California bars firing or disciplining workers by AI alone

Newsom signed the No Robo Bosses Act with a dozen other bills on September 30. From July 2027, a human must check any discipline or firing that leans mainly on an automated system, and workers must be told in writing.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 947, the “No Robo Bosses Act”, on September 30, along with 12 other bills his office grouped as AI and worker protections. From July 1, 2027, California employers may not rely solely on an automated decision system to discipline or fire workers. When such a system was the main basis, a human must corroborate the decision, and the worker must get a written notice.

Policy & Law

Connecticut’s AI rules on layoffs and whistleblowers start

From October 1, employers must say whether AI played a part in mass layoffs, and makers of the biggest AI models may not punish staff who warn of catastrophic risks. AI subscriptions and AI-made media get new rules too.

Large parts of Connecticut’s new AI law took effect on October 1. Employers that file mass-layoff notices must now tell the state whether the layoffs relate to their use of AI. Developers of the biggest AI models may not retaliate against staff who report catastrophic risks, and AI subscription services must spell out their limits before customers pay.

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Policy & Law

Florida wants no new OpenAI models without outside approval

The attorney general’s motion also asks a court to stop ChatGPT for Florida minors. It cites OpenAI’s own incidents, and no judge has ruled yet.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier asked a Highlands County court on September 28 to temporarily bar OpenAI from developing new AI models without independent third-party safety guardrails and approval. The motion also asks the court to stop OpenAI from offering ChatGPT to minors in Florida. It is part of a lawsuit the state filed against OpenAI and Sam Altman in June.

Policy & Law

Australia’s Senate calls Altman and Amodei to a hearing

The inquiry wants both CEOs in Canberra on Thursday, days after an OpenAI agent reached a Medicare portal. The companies have not replied yet.

An Australian Senate inquiry into AI has asked OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei to appear at public hearings in Canberra on Thursday, October 1. A spokesperson for its chair, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, said on September 27 that written requests had been sent. The request follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s disclosure that an OpenAI agent accessed a Medicare portal in June. OpenAI and Anthropic did not immediately respond.

Policy & Law

New York City proposes a kill switch for every AI system

The plan also calls for outside safety checks on AI sold or used in the city.

The New York City Council unveiled a package of AI bills on September 25. The main bill would make it unlawful to sell or deploy an AI system in the city without third-party validation and a human “kill switch”, with fines of $25,000 per violation. A hearing is set for October 5.

Policy & Law

California wants a plan for an AI “kill switch”

The new order asks for advice, not a new rule.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-9-26 on September 18. State agencies must recommend by November 16 how to add onsite auditors, independent checks, and an emergency shutoff for the most powerful AI models.