Will AI Replace You? California Moves to Shield Workers and Distribute Wealth

Translation resultGovernor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order advancing retraining for workers displaced by artificial intelligence and ordering a review of a first-in-the-nation “universal basic capital” proposal that would give residents shares in companies.The New York Times reported on the 21st (local time) that Newsom, a Democrat, directed state agencies, academic institutions, labor groups and the AI industry to study subsidies for firms that retain employees rather than replace them with AI. The order also calls for expanding job-training programs for white-collar workers most at risk of displacement—including customer service representatives, software developers and marketing staff.Newsom additionally ordered a review of a program to provide all residents with a mix of company stock, bonds and funds under the “universal basic capital” concept. The New York Times described the order as more a directive to explore policy options than a package of concrete measures, but said it reflects growing global anxiety about AI-driven restructuring.Dario Amodei, co‑founder of Anthropic, has warned that roughly half of white‑collar jobs could disappear within five years.