California signs SB 947 banning employers from terminating workers based solely on AI

California governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 947, the "No Robo Bosses Act of 2026," on a Wednesday, according to a report dated October 5, 2026. With the signing, California becomes the first state in the country to bar employers from relying solely on automated AI decision systems when disciplining or dismissing workers.

Under the law as described in the report, when an algorithm concludes that an employee should be fired, a human has to review that decision and back it up with evidence. In other words, an automated output on its own is no longer enough to end someone's job in the state.

The report notes that an earlier version of the bill was vetoed by Newsom last year. This year's version won his approval only after its notification provisions were narrowed. The report does not describe what those narrowed provisions say, nor does it give an effective date for the law, the size of the employers it covers, or any penalties attached to it. As it stands, the measure has been signed by the governor, and California is the first state to have legislation of this kind on the books.