Steyer Proposes AI Jobs Guarantee for California Workers
SAN FRANCISCO — California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer has proposed a jobs guarantee program for workers displaced by artificial intelligence, Wired reported, positioning the plan as a centerpiece of his gubernatorial bid.
The proposal would establish a guaranteed employment program for Californians who lose their jobs to AI-driven automation. Steyer, a billionaire investor and climate activist who previously ran for president in 2020, announced the plan as part of his campaign.
The jobs guarantee concept — in which the government acts as an employer of last resort — has existed in economic policy debate for years. The rapid deployment of AI systems capable of performing white-collar tasks such as writing, coding and data analysis has drawn renewed attention to such proposals, according to Wired.
Wired described the proposal as a “long shot,” reflecting the political and fiscal hurdles any such program would face in Sacramento. California already confronts a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, and a guaranteed jobs program would require substantial new funding at a time when lawmakers are cutting spending across state agencies.
The proposal comes as AI-driven job displacement has moved from a long-term concern to an immediate policy debate. Major technology companies headquartered in California — including Google, Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic — have deployed AI systems that can automate tasks across industries from customer service to legal research.
California has frequently served as a policy laboratory for the rest of the nation, with its regulations on vehicle emissions, data privacy and gig worker classification eventually influencing federal and state-level action elsewhere. A jobs guarantee tied specifically to AI displacement, if enacted, could establish a precedent that other states look to as automation reshapes labor markets nationwide.
The proposal comes as lawmakers at both the state and federal level grapple with how to regulate AI’s impact on the workforce, according to Wired.
Steyer’s plan adds a new dimension to that debate by focusing not on regulating AI providers but on creating a safety net for workers who bear the economic consequences of automation.