Labor leaders see Newsom’s AI workforce EO as softer than advertised

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For some California union leaders, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest AI and labor-related executive order is a letdown, especially with months left in his final term.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol on May 20, 2026. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

Gavin Newsom delivered the first executive order from a governor designed to confront the threat of mass job displacement from artificial intelligence on Thursday.

But the early verdict from California’s labor and tech leaders is that Newsom’s order largely reads like an extension of his existing AI record, not the sweeping populist economic reset he teased in Washington this week ahead of a likely 2028 presidential run.