California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer proposes job guarantees for workers displaced by AI, funded by a tax on data processing

Steyer announced a plan to make California 'the first major economy in the world' to guarantee 'good-paying' jobs for workers impacted by AI. The plan includes establishing the Golden State Sovereign Wealth Fund, funded by a 'token tax' that would tax big tech companies 'a fraction of a cent for every unit of data processed' for AI.

The proposal would create a new agency called the AI Worker Protection Administration (AIWPA) comprising union leaders, academics, and technologists to adopt rules protecting workers' rights, and would expand unemployment insurance and invest in training and apprenticeship programs.

Steyer is the first state-wide California candidate to make such a job-guarantee pledge. His announcement follows a similar AI plan from Democratic primary opponent Xavier Becerra, which calls for 'workforce investment and transition support' but does not specify a funding mechanism.