AI and Your Job: What California Workers Should Know

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a tech buzzword. It is becoming part of everyday life in workplaces across California, shaping decisions about who gets hired, who is promoted, and even who is let go. For workers, this creates new uncertainties and new risks. Lawmakers in Sacramento are moving to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in employment, but the laws are still in development, and the outcomes will affect millions of Californians. This blog explores what is at stake for California employees, who is most likely to be affected, and how civil rights protections are evolving in the age of artificial intelligence.

The Growing Role of Artificial Employment

AI has already entered hiring and workplace management in ways many workers do not realize. Large companies use resume-scanning software that automatically rejects applications if certain keywords are missing. Automated interview systems score job seekers on tone of voice, word choice, or facial expressions. In some cases, workers have been screened out for wearing glasses, speaking with an accent, or taking a pause before answering a question.

Gig workers have been subject to algorithmic management for years. Ride-share and delivery drivers know that pay rates, routes, and customer matches can shift daily based on automated systems, often without any explanation. Warehouse and retail employees increasingly face monitoring by productivity-tracking tools that measure how quickly they work, how often they take breaks, and whether they meet output quotas. For many workers, these tools operate behind the scenes. The result is that an individual can lose a job opportunity or face discipline without ever knowing that a computer program made the decision.

Which Workers Are Most Likely to Be Affected

While Artificial Intelligence has the potential to touch nearly every job, several groups of California workers are particularly vulnerable:

• Job applicants in industries where large volumes of resumes are screened by software, such as healthcare, technology, finance, and retail.
  
• Gig workers who rely on platforms like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Instacart, where pay and assignments are determined algorithmically.
  
• Frontline and hourly workers in warehouses, logistics, and manufacturing, often in regions like the Central Valley where companies rely heavily on productivity tracking.
  
• Employees in large organizations across Los Angeles and the Bay Area, where corporate employers are investing in this software to manage performance reviews, promotions, and even layoffs.
  

California counties each reflect a different picture:

• Los Angeles County: In the entertainment and media sectors, these tools are increasingly used to evaluate creative submissions and hiring decisions in support roles. In retail, chain stores often rely on automated scheduling software that dictates worker hours with little notice.
  
• Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties (Silicon Valley): Tech companies such as Google, Meta, and Apple are not only building this software but also experimenting with using it in hiring pipelines. Startups in these counties are often early adopters of algorithmic tools for recruitment and human resources.
  
• Alameda and San Francisco Counties: With a dense concentration of healthcare facilities and biotech firms, applicants may find their resumes filtered through Artificial hiring software before a human recruiter ever reviews them.
  
• Central Valley counties such as Fresno and Kern: Agricultural processing plants, warehouses, and logistics hubs often rely on monitoring systems that measure worker output in real time. These systems increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to flag employees for discipline or termination.
  
• Orange County: Financial services and medical device companies in the region have already invested in artificial-driven analytics, meaning that applicants and employees may be evaluated by algorithms in addition to supervisors.
  

California’s Legislative Efforts

Recognizing these risks, California lawmakers introduced three bills in 2025 aimed at protecting workers:

• SB 7 would require employers to provide 30 days’ notice before using artificial intelligence to make employment decisions. It also restricts employers from drawing sensitive inferences, such as pregnancy or health status, from data. An appeals process for workers was originally included, though business groups are pushing to remove it.
  
• AB 1331 and AB 1221 focus on workplace surveillance, limiting how employers can use artificial intelligence to track worker behavior, productivity, and personal data.
  

At the same time, the California Civil Rights Department has adopted rules, effective October 2025, banning discrimination in hiring, recruiting, and promotions when artificial tools are involved. This means workers will soon have a legal foundation to challenge bias, regardless of whether the new bills advance.

Civil Rights Questions Raised

Civil rights laws were designed to prevent discrimination by human decision-makers. But what happens when discrimination is coded into an algorithm? If a system is trained on historical hiring data that reflects past biases, those biases are likely to be repeated. Women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, and older workers are at heightened risk of being filtered out without any clear explanation.

These risks raise important questions:

• Do workers have the right to know if artificial intelligence was involved in a decision about their employment?
  
• Should employees have the ability to appeal an artificial based decision that affects their livelihood?
  
• How can discrimination be proved when the reasoning behind a system’s decision is hidden inside proprietary code?
  

California’s proposed laws and upcoming regulations are attempts to answer these questions by requiring transparency and notice, while giving workers tools to challenge unfair treatment.

Examples From Real Life

Concerns about bias in are not hypothetical. Amazon once developed an artificial recruiting tool that learned to downgrade resumes containing the word “women’s,” as in “women’s soccer team,” because historical data reflected male-dominated hiring patterns. The project was abandoned after the bias was exposed, but the lesson remains clear: algorithms often replicate discrimination instead of removing it.

In warehouses, workers have already faced terminations generated by automated systems that flagged them for not meeting productivity quotas, even when those quotas were unreasonable or unsafe. These cases illustrate the stakes for California workers if AI is allowed to make critical employment decisions without oversight.

For the Sake of Debate

Employers argue that AI improves efficiency and removes human bias. They claim that algorithms make hiring more objective and reduce costs. But the reality for workers tells a different story. Efficiency often comes at the expense of fairness. A system designed to process thousands of resumes quickly may filter out qualified candidates for arbitrary reasons. Productivity tracking may force employees to work at unsafe speeds. Surveillance may invade privacy without improving outcomes. The promise of objectivity is misleading when the data feeding the system already reflects years of unequal treatment. Instead of creating a level playing field, artificial intelligence can reinforce the very barriers civil rights laws are supposed to eliminate.

What This Means for California Workers

For workers across the state, these developments are a reminder to stay alert and informed.

• If you are applying for jobs, be aware that this may already be involved in the first round of decisions. Save all communications and keep records of your applications.
  
• If you are working in industries with high turnover or surveillance, such as retail, warehousing, or gig platforms, pay attention to how performance evaluations are conducted. Document any unusual treatment or sudden changes in scheduling or pay.
  
• If you suspect discrimination, remember that beginning in October 2025, California law will provide a clear basis to challenge these bias.
  

Companies More Likely to Use Artificial Intelligence in Employment

Workers should expect these systems to be more common in certain sectors and companies, especially in California:

• Tech giants in Silicon Valley, such as Google, Meta, and Apple, which both develop and deploy AI.
  
• E-commerce leaders like Amazon, already using this software in warehouse management and hiring processes.
  
• Rideshare and delivery platforms such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Instacart, where algorithms drive daily operations.
  
• Large healthcare systems across Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and Orange County, which are adopting these practices for recruiting and staffing.
  
• Retail chains with strong presences in Southern California, which rely on automated scheduling software.
  

How Fraigun Law Group Can Help

At Fraigun Law Group, we represent employees, not corporations. We understand how disruptive it can be when your job, pay, or career prospects are determined by a computer program you cannot question. California is taking steps to protect workers, but the laws are still new, and employers may resist compliance. We can evaluate your situation, explain your rights, and pursue remedies to protect your future. Contact us today.

Artificial Intellegience is reshaping the workplace, but it does not erase your rights. California workers deserve fairness, transparency, and dignity. Whether the decision comes from a manager or a machine, you have the right to challenge discrimination and unfair treatment. Fraigun Law Group is here to help you do just that.