AI and Privacy: A Guide to California's Recently Passed Legislation

By: Afshan Bhatia, Anokhy Desai, Kewa Jiang, and Hina Moheyuddin

In the corridors of the California legislature, legislators are reshaping the boundaries of privacy and artificial intelligence. This article reviews 11 key bills that confront a wide spectrum of contemporary challenges from workplace surveillance to automated decision systems that arbitrate human opportunity. It is critical for businesses, developers, consumers, and privacy professionals alike to understand these bills because they signal how California is setting nationwide standards for transparency, accountability, and ethical technology use.

The California legislative session concluded on September 12, 2025, the first year of a two-year legislative process. The bills that passed both the Senate and the Assembly will now be considered by Governor Gavin Newsom, who has until October 12, 2025 to either sign, veto, or take no action on the bills. The legislature will reconvene on January 5, 2026.