California reports use of six high-risk AI decision systems

California officials disclosed on Friday that state agencies are currently using six automated systems classified as "high-risk" to make consequential decisions affecting residents, a significant shift from a report last year that found no such systems in use. The acknowledgment, detailed in an annual report from the California Department of Technology, highlights the government's growing reliance on artificial intelligence and algorithmic tools in sensitive areas.

The systems are used to predict whether incarcerated individuals will reoffend, evaluate unemployment claims for potential fraud, remotely administer exams for California State University students, and detect when college students use generative AI to write assignments. The report is mandated by a 2023 law requiring annual disclosure of "high-risk automated decision systems," defined as those that assist or replace human discretionary decisions with significant legal effects on access to housing, education, employment, credit, healthcare, and criminal justice.

This year's finding contrasts sharply with the state's first report under the law in June 2025, which concluded no agencies were using such systems. Officials...