With AB 1979, California sets a new national standard for protecting patients and health care workers from unsafe A.I.

Union nurses with California Nurses Association (CNA) celebrated a hard-fought victory today as Governor Gavin Newsom signed a CNA-sponsored bill, AB 1979 authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (AD-18), into law. The new law establishes landmark protections for patients and health care workers against the unsafe use of artificial intelligence (A.I.) in health care.

“This is a historic day for California,” said Sandy Reding, RN and president of California Nurses Association. “Nurses won this fight the way we win every fight: Together. We stood up and said that A.I. must support, not replace, the clinical judgement of the nurses and other health care professionals who care for our patients.”

AB 1979 ensures that health care entities cannot use A.I. to replace the clinical judgment of licensed health care professionals. The law limits A.I. in an exclusively advisory role and protects patients’ health information accessed through A.I. health chatbots, extending California's medical confidentiality laws.

“Technology should not replace human decision-making in health care,” said Assemblymember Mia Bonta. “A.I. is rapidly integrating into our health care system and reshaping our personal experience with it. Protecting patient safety, keeping our professional workforce engaged, and preserving the integrity of health care requires that we not rely exclusively on A.I. to do things quicker and cheaper. AB 1979 does that by ensuring medical records stay protected when accessed through direct-to-consumer health chatbots and that licensed health care professionals retain the ability to exercise professional judgment when a clinical decision support system informs their care of a patient."

This victory belongs to the thousands of registered nurses who spent the past year organizing, testifying before committees, rallying at the Capitol, sharing their stories, and making call after call to legislators across the state. They were joined by a broad coalition of labor and consumer advocates. Together, they overcame fierce opposition from hospital corporations, insurance companies, and technology industry groups. With the governor's signature, California becomes a model for states across the country as they confront the rapid expansion of A.I. in health care and throughout the economy.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.