Mamdani says feds have abdicated on AI, urges New Yorkers to push back
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday night that New Yorkers must resist the narrative that an AI takeover is inevitable and demand regulations that protect the public and put power back in their hands.
New York City's Mayor Zohran Mamdani and activist Ilana Glazer addressed the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) at a recent event in Manhattan. Glazer, a "Broad City" star and parent, expressed her concerns about AI's presence in classrooms, questioning why it felt so non-consensual given its sudden introduction. Mamdani urged New Yorkers not to accept AI's widespread adoption without question, emphasizing that it is not an inevitable force.
The federal government has shown little effort to regulate AI, leaving cities to take action independently. Mamdani pointed out that the rapid rollout of AI is not destined to happen, urging public officials to hold AI companies accountable. In a recent move, he implemented a ban on AI use in elementary and middle schools. Additionally, the mayor introduced a policy requiring disclosure of AI-generated photos and videos in property listings to protect residents from being misled.
Mamdani criticized the federal government's approach to AI, arguing that it is not holding companies accountable and is instead allowing them to self-regulate. He likened this to Facebook's self-regulation arguments in 2008 and expressed concern about the potential for human extinction if unchecked.
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