California Senator introduces 'No Robo Bosses Act' to ban AI-only firing
SB 947 would require human oversight for disciplinary actions and prohibit AI from predicting worker behavior.
State Senator Jerry McNerney has introduced Senate Bill 947, known as the "No Robo Bosses Act of 2026," to restrict how California employers use automated decision-making systems (ADS). The legislation aims to prevent algorithms from unilaterally determining the employment status of workers in the world's fifth-largest economy.
Under the proposed law, California employers would be barred from relying solely on AI systems to fire or discipline employees. The bill further prohibits the use of ADS that leverage personal information to "predict" future employee actions. To ensure transparency, the legislation requires employers to inform workers if an automated system played a role in their termination or disciplinary process. Additionally, SB 947 mandates human oversight and independent verification for any high-impact employment decisions.
A Return to the Senate
This legislative push is not a first attempt at regulating algorithmic management. SB 947 is a revised version of SB 7 (2025), a previous effort that successfully passed both the Senate and the Assembly but was ultimately vetoed by the governor. The current bill is sponsored by the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO.
The introduction of the bill follows a period of rapid corporate adoption of AI intended to drive productivity and reduce costs. However, this shift has been accompanied by reports of AI systems mistakenly terminating employees, prompting a broader wave of California legislation—including SB 951—designed to protect the workforce from arbitrary algorithmic management and automated displacement.
The Human-in-the-Loop Mandate
If passed, the act would establish a legal "human-in-the-loop" requirement, shifting the burden of responsibility from "black box" algorithms back to human managers. By ensuring that a machine cannot be the sole arbiter of a worker's livelihood, the bill seeks to create a significant legal precedent for AI labor law across the United States.
"AI must remain a tool controlled by humans, not the other way around," Sen. McNerney stated regarding the necessity of the bill. Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, echoed this sentiment, noting that stronger guardrails are required to ensure human review of any machine-led decision that impacts a worker's paycheck.
What to Watch
Legislators and industry observers will now watch to see if SB 947 can overcome the hurdles that stalled its predecessor. The primary point of contention remains the balance between corporate efficiency and worker protections. While the bill provides a framework for oversight, the specific mechanisms for "independent verification" of high-impact decisions remain a key detail for stakeholders to monitor as the bill moves through the legislative process.