State Senator Jerry McNerney, a Democrat representing Pleasanton, unveiled the “No Robo Bosses Act” on Thursday, according to an announcement from his office. This groundbreaking bill aims to establish human oversight of artificial intelligence in workplace decision-making processes, as highlighted in a press release issued the same day. Senate Bill 7 seeks to prevent California employers from solely depending on AI, also known as automated decision-making systems (ADS), for critical employment actions such as hiring, promotions, disciplinary measures, or terminations, the senator’s office stated.
The proposed legislation also intends to prohibit AI systems from utilizing personal data to predict an employee’s future conduct. “Businesses are increasingly leveraging AI to enhance efficiency and productivity in the workplace. However, there are currently inadequate safeguards to prevent machines from unfairly or unlawfully affecting workers’ livelihoods and working conditions,” Senator McNerney explained.
The California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, is sponsoring the bill. Lorena Gonzalez, President of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, which represents over 1,300 unions with 2.3 million members, emphasized the importance of the bill: “No worker should have to answer to a robot boss when they are fearful of getting injured on the job, or when they have to go to the bathroom or leave work for an emergency.”
Assemblymembers Sade Elhawary, D-South Los Angeles, and Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles, are co-authoring SB 7.
