California news

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.

Nonprofit sues OpenAI over its agents’ Hugging Face hack

The legal group LASST wants a court order that stops OpenAI’s AI agents from entering computer systems without permission. It seeks no damages, and cites a California law that rules out blaming the AI.

Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology (LASST), a nonprofit legal group, sued OpenAI in San Francisco on September 29 over the July hack of Hugging Face by OpenAI’s AI agents. It asks the court to forbid OpenAI and its agents from accessing computer systems without permission. It does not seek damages, only the order and its legal fees.

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.

California adds child-safety rules for chatbots and feeds

A new package requires stronger chatbot safeguards, bans some addictive feed features for users under 16, and adds child privacy rules. The next test is whether regulators can make the rules work in real products.

California signed rules for independent AI checks

Now the auditors need to earn trust.

Two new laws create a framework for independent checks and a state list of AI auditors. The rules can improve accountability if auditors stay independent and publish useful evidence.