California Just Made It Illegal for Software to Fire You on Its Own. The Fine Is $500, the Key Word Is Undefined, and Uber and Lyft Drivers Were Written Out
About This Episode
On Wednesday, September 30, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 947, the No Robo Bosses Act, reversing his own veto of last year's version. From July 1, 2027, a California employer may not rely solely on an automated decision system to discipline or fire a worker; when it relies 'primarily' on one, a human must corroborate the output with other evidence and the worker gets a written notice, a description of the data used and a human contact. The bill that got signed dropped advance notice and gig workers, carries a $500 civil penalty with no private right to sue, and leaves 'primarily relies' undefined.
Our Take
California now requires a human to back up the machine before you are fired; the episode asks whether that human is a second opinion or a rubber stamp, and what the worker can actually see and do about it.
Continue Reading on Unscarcity
Accountability Laundering: When the AI Takes the Blame
Direct match: the article is about SB 947's exact remedy, arguing a human-signature rule records who signed, not who decided, unless the inputs and the machine's first answer are on the record too.
Human-in-the-Loop: Where AI Agents Must Stop
Supplies the test for where a human checkpoint belongs (irreversible actions) and why a checkpoint needs a named owner to be more than a turnstile.