New York lawmakers plot more AI regulations after RAISE Act

And could New York create new counties? A new bill would make it possible.

Good afternoon — It’s Thursday and Bagel Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• Lawmakers in New York have their sights set on new regulations on the development and use of AI tools.

• A new bill from a Nassau County Democrat in the state Legislature would allow New York to create new counties.

• Democrats in New York received good news from a top political analysis website Thursday.

• The managers of New York’s pension fund are following all the rules they’re supposed to, an independent review found.

• A Republican opponent of New York Attorney General Letitia James wants to know how often the state has paid contingency fees to private law firms.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kristen Gonzalez, Kathy Hochul, Alex Spyropoulos, Michelle Hinchey, Chris Gilrein, Andrew Gounardes, Thomas P. DiNapoli, Letitia James, Drew Warshaw, RoAnn Destito, Mike Lawler, John Mannion, Pat Ryan, Laura Gillen, Khurram Dara, Michael Henry, Saritha Komatireddy, Michaelle Solages

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State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez (New York State Senate)

🤖 New York lawmakers want to build on the RAISE Act with new AI regulations

When the state Legislature approved the RAISE Act last year, it was considered a strong signal that the state was serious about regulating the artificial intelligence industry.

That was important because it showed that state lawmakers in New York weren’t willing to wait for the federal government to develop a nationwide framework for regulating AI. But the law was ultimately weakened at the request of Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The tech industry, including trade groups representing companies like Google, OpenAI and Meta, had lobbied hard against the bill ahead of its passage. It was a top priority.

Democrats now plan to build on that law with a new set of bills aimed at setting more guardrails for developers of artificial intelligence tools and how they’re used, particularly in the workplace.

That was the subject of a hearing Thursday by the state Legislature in New York City, where panels of witnesses, including industry trade groups, shared their thoughts on what direction lawmakers should take on AI this year.