California is preparing for an AI shakeup it can't yet measure

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order directing state agencies to study AI-driven workforce disruption through data collection, employment trend monitoring, and the development of worker safeguards. The order, billed as a 'first-in-the-nation' effort, marks the state's initial step toward preparing for potential job changes caused by artificial intelligence. Newsom's office characterized the move as proactive, aiming to measure impacts that are not yet fully understood.

Under the executive order, state agencies must track employment pattern changes that may be attributable to AI, identify sectors most at risk of displacement, and design protective measures for affected workers. The order also calls for the aggregation of existing data and the creation of new metrics to better capture AI's labor market effects. Newsom stated that the goal is to ensure California remains competitive while protecting its workforce.

The state has previously navigated job disruption from technological shifts like automation in manufacturing and the rise of the internet. The executive order reflects uncertainty about the speed and scale of AI-driven changes and the adequacy of current data to measure them.