Cervantes’ Bill to Prevent California State University Faculty from Being Replaced by AI Approved Unanimously on Senate Floor

(SACRAMENTO) – On Thursday, Senate Bill 928 by Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside)—which would help prevent California State University (CSU) faculty from being replaced by artificial intelligence (AI)—was approved unanimously on the Senate Floor. SB 928, sponsored by the California Faculty Association (CFA) and the California Federation of Labor Unions, would require that a faculty member and an instructor of record for a course must be human beings; the bill would protect the quality of education for students and teaching professionals, including CSU faculty. 

“California faculty provide a necessary human element in teaching,” said Senator Cervantes. “SB 928 protects that personal connection and the guidance CSU faculty provide that cannot be replaced by AI. AI should be used in ways that improve education, not replace hardworking CSU faculty.”

In recent years, Senator Cervantes authored two other bills that provide similar safeguards at the California Community Colleges. These were Assembly Bill 2370 (2024) and Senate Bill 241 (2025), both of which make clear that human beings must hold faculty and teaching positions. Governor Newsom signed both bills into law.

CFA is a union of 29,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors, and coaches across the CSU system that advocates for quality public higher education, fair working conditions, social justice, and expanded opportunities for the students and communities served by the CSU. This bill is also co-sponsored by the California Federation of Labor Unions, which represents more than 1,300 unions and 2.3 million union members. 

You can read more about Senate Bill 928 here. The bill will next be referred to an Assembly policy committee. 

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