California Launches First-in-Nation AI Job-Loss Tracker as Silicon Valley Watches

[SARATOGA, California] -- California has launched what state officials describe as the nation's first public dashboard to track potential job losses linked to artificial intelligence, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday, June 25. The California AI-Unemployment Tracker will provide monthly updates to identify possible AI-related job displacement.

Saratoga, in Silicon Valley approximately 50 miles south of San Francisco in Santa Clara County, has a population of approximately 31,000. Many residents commute to technology companies including Apple, Netflix, and Google.

The dashboard was developed in partnership with the California Employment Development Department and researchers at the University of California's California Policy Lab. State officials said it is intended to serve as an early warning system to help guide workforce policies, including job training, retraining, and employment assistance.

An initial analysis accompanying the dashboard found no evidence of widespread AI-related increases in unemployment claims statewide, according to the governor's office. However, researchers reported higher claims among some college-educated workers in occupations with high AI exposure and in the San Francisco Bay Area following the 2022 public release of ChatGPT-3.5.

The tracker was created under an executive order signed by Newsom directing state agencies to prepare workers, businesses, and communities for the economic effects of artificial intelligence. The order came after growing pressure from labor unions concerned about the impact of AI on employment.