Governments Restricted AI in Professional Roles
New legislation in the U.S. and proposed policies in Europe aim to ensure human oversight in critical services.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
Live Poll
Should governments legally require certain professional tasks to be performed only by humans?
Legislators in Illinois and Colorado have enacted laws requiring human professionals to maintain final authority over mental health treatment decisions and plans. These actions coincide with deliberations in the European Commission regarding the Quality Jobs Act, which addresses the necessity of human approval in workplace processes.
Why it matters
As AI capabilities grow, policymakers are defining a boundary for human-reserved tasks, arguing that roles involving social value contain elements that require human interaction. Bill Gates has proposed that up to 40 percent of jobs could be initially reserved for humans to preserve these essential functions.
Illinois and Colorado have established regulatory thresholds requiring human intervention in clinical processes, contrasting with previous unregulated AI deployment. While 40% of the workforce has been cited as a potential target for human-only reservation, the exact mechanism for scaling these mandates across other sectors is not yet known.
The players
Bill Gates
Technologist and philanthropist who has proposed reserving a significant portion of the global workforce for human employees.
European Commission
The executive branch of the European Union currently deliberating on legal frameworks for human-centered workplace regulations.
European Parliament
The legislative body of the European Union that recommended final human approval for decisions affecting workers.
The details
The legislative approach involves codifying human intervention requirements for tasks that influence patient outcomes. In Illinois, AI usage is restricted to administrative tasks like record-keeping, while licensed professionals must oversee therapy. Similarly, Colorado law mandates real-time human oversight for AI-generated treatment plans to ensure professional accountability in patient-oriented conversations.
Timeline
2025: Illinois enacted a law prohibiting AI from making standalone mental health treatment decisions.
2026: Colorado passed a law requiring human review for AI-generated treatment plans.
July 2026: The European Commission began formal deliberations on the Quality Jobs Act.
The Tech Race
The emergence of human-reserved job mandates follows the framework established by the Quality Jobs Act. These regional policies mark a departure from the previous industry trajectory of full automation, establishing a new global standard for human-in-the-loop requirements.
These regulations mandate that patients in Illinois and Colorado interact with licensed professionals rather than autonomous software for mental health treatment. Professionals in these regions should expect new compliance workflows requiring documented human validation of any AI-assisted treatment plans.
The takeaway
The transition from voluntary AI guidelines to mandatory human-oversight laws signals a shift toward sector-specific regulation. Watch the European Commission for the final text of the Quality Jobs Act, as it will likely set the global precedent for which professional tasks remain human-exclusive.
Further reading
For more on how regulatory bodies are addressing automation, explore our coverage in Artificial Intelligence.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 조선일보.
Live Poll
Should governments legally require certain professional tasks to be performed only by humans?
