The New Bipartisan Bill on AI and Offshoring in Customer Service

A new bipartisan bill in the US Senate aims to curb the use of artificial intelligence and offshoring in customer service roles to protect American jobs and consumer privacy.

Senator Ruben Gallego and co-sponsor Senator Jim Justice from West Virginia introduced the “Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025,” imposing new requirements on businesses using overseas labor or AI in call centers.

If passed, this legislation would ensure consumers can choose to speak with a human representative located in the United States, penalizing companies that outsource customer service jobs abroad.

Proposed Law to Preserve US Jobs and Limit AI Dependence

In a CBS MoneyWatch interview, Gallego stated that people prefer the option to speak to a human rather than AI, highlighting the frustration of navigating automated systems.

The proposed legislation requires businesses planning to offshore call center operations to notify the Department of Labor (DOL) at least 120 days in advance. The DOL will maintain a publicly accessible list of these employers, who will remain listed for five years unless they return jobs to the US.

Companies on this list won’t qualify for new federal grants or federally backed loans. Conversely, those retaining US-based call centers will receive preferential treatment for federal contracts.

Additionally, the bill directs the DOL to monitor job losses attributed to AI in the call center industry. Call center agents must disclose their physical location and whether AI is used at the beginning of a customer service call.

Senator Justice emphasized, “West Virginians and all Americans deserve good service. When folks pick up the phone for help, they shouldn’t have to deal with AI robots or overseas representatives. This bill prioritizes American workers.”

Labor Union Support and Privacy Concerns

The Communications Workers of America (CWA), representing thousands of call center employees, backed the legislation. CWA Director Dan Mauer highlighted it addresses the dual threats of outsourcing and the unregulated use of AI.

> “This much-needed legislation protects US call center jobs and counters increasing threats from artificial intelligence and offshoring,” Mauer stated. “Companies are using AI to de-skill tasks and displace jobs, undermining worker rights and degrading quality for consumers.”

Senator Gallego corroborated Mauer’s concerns regarding data security, especially with AI-powered offshore customer service, stressing the risks of misuse of sensitive information by workers located outside the US.

As AI tools increasingly replace human roles, including in customer service, software development, and administrative tasks, warnings have arisen about job losses. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei indicated that up to 20% of white-collar jobs might vanish due to AI in the next five years, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang contended such losses would only occur if new ideas cease to emerge.