AI and Workplace Violence: Prevention, Compliance, and Safety

AI is transformative. There’s absolutely no question that it will change our world, and do so at breakneck speed. 

And the workplace is ground zero for that change.

So what does AI mean for workplace violence, its prevention, employee safety, and compliance with California’s new workplace violence prevention law?

In this piece we’ll take a deep dive into what AI means for workplace violence, its prevention, compliance, and employee safety.

If you’re a California employer with 5-30 employees who interact with the public, and Cal/OSHA knocked on your door next month, could you show a working violence prevention plan, real training, and incident documentation?

I’m offering a free 15‑minute Compliance & Safety Snapshot call where we:

• Walk through what you’d be expected to show.
• Compare it to what you’re actually doing now.
• Flag your top 2–3 gaps and what to prioritize in the next 30–90 days.   

No slides, no long presentation. Just a focused reality check and next steps.

If you want that snapshot, grab a time here. 

Prefer email instead of booking a time? Email me with “15‑Minute Snapshot” in the subject and 1–2 lines about your organization, and I’ll send back a quick assessment plus options for next steps.

A Recipe for Increased Workplace Violence?

AI is revolutionizing the workplace. But, it’s got a potential downside too. And a quick look at Gen Z (ages 14 to 29) shows the conflicts surrounding AI’s use.

According to two recent surveys, one by Marist, the other by Gallup: 

• Gen Z has the highest adoption rate for artificial intelligence with more than half using it regularly.
• But, nearly 1/3 of Gen Z have reported that AI has made them angry. 
• And close to half of those young adults surveyed believe that the risks from AI outweigh its potential benefits.
• And finally over 70% of Gen Z (and other demographic groups) believe AI will have a negative impact on jobs. 

And these fears are starting to get reflected in reality with some employers announcing AI related job cuts. Currently 17%-26% of all announced job cuts have been AI related.

And the unease AI is causing for Gen Z has become of the biggest stories of this year’s graduation season, as graduates are loudly booing of commencement speakers who mention AI. And this is happening because many of these graduates view AI as a job killer.

And that perception was recently reinforced by Elon Musk, and other tech billionaires who are now calling for the government to pay people a universal income since so many will lose their jobs to AI

It was only a year ago that Musk was wielding a chain saw on stage while gloating about the number of government jobs he cut for DOGE. Apparently, he fails to see the irony of depicting himself as a government job killer, and then calling for the taxpayers to pay the income of private sector employees who lose their jobs to AI.

Perhaps he’s calling for the government to do that to spare himself the risks from workplace violence from those angry over AI. 

Violence came for Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, when twice in over the course of just a few days he was targeted with serious violence, gunshots and a firebomb, driven by grievance over fears of jobs being lost to AI.

Economic concerns and fear of losing your job are strong drivers of emotion. And that can lead to violence with some individuals.

What This Means for Employers

And it’s not just the big tech companies that will have to be concerned about violence as a result of the belief that AI is a job killer. Any organization that embraces AI will need to safeguard its organization, and employees from this newest safety risk.

And that’s because grievance driven violence can target organizations that aren’t directly connected to the source of the grievance. And those who engage in grievance driven violence can target organizations that they have no connection to, simply to make a statement.

Plus, employers who embrace AI for customer service, must also look at the high levels of dissatisfaction associated with AI to see that it can cause clients and customers who are angered by a perceived lack of customer service and resolution of an issue, as a genuine risk.

And finally, employers, who have never previously dealt with layoffs, may need to look at the risk of workplace violence from laying off current employees.

AI and Compliance with California’s Workplace Violence Prevention Law

Another area where AI and workplace violence prevention can collide is compliance with California law. Some California employers may rely on AI to create a workplace violence prevention plan.

But, doing so can put the employer at risk for regulatory fines, and also put their employees, and their organization at greater risk of workplace violence and its detrimental impact.

California’s workplace violence prevention law requires employees, employers, and workplaces to be covered by an effective workplace violence prevention plan regardless of company size, if your employees interact with the public.

Using AI to create a workplace violence prevention plan can be tempting for an employer. It’s certainly quick.

But, that likely will not comply with California’s regulations.

And that’s because California law requires employers to assess and correct workplace violence safety hazards that are specific to their employees, and to do so effectively.

Further, California law requires employers to actively seek the involvement of their employees in developing, implementing, and maintaining their plan, including in determining the best types of workplace violence prevention training for the employees to receive.

Creating a workplace violence prevention plan using AI fails to meet any of those requirements. And California law requires employers to conduct violence safety hazard and workplace practice assessments, to conduct effective investigations, and other steps to implement during and after an incident. 

While AI may be useful for creating a rough outline for a violence prevention plan, it cannot address California’s requirements for specificity, that the plan be developed with employee input, and the requirements for the plan to be effective. 

All of which can open the door to government regulatory actions, and potentially a lawsuit where plaintiff lawyers, particularly for third parties, will seek punitive damages.

If you’re reading this because you’re responsible for safety or compliance in a small California organization, the fastest next step is a short, free 15‑minute snapshot call. We’ll pressure‑test how you’d look if a regulator or plaintiff’s attorney asked tomorrow, and flag your top risks.

Get Your Free 15‑Minute Compliance Snapshot or send me an email with the subject line “15-Minute snapshot” and let me know a bit about your organization.