New York City Council members have introduced a legislative package aimed at strengthening AI regulation. One of the proposed measures allows whistleblowers to receive a portion of fines collected from companies that violate AI safety standards. Additionally, another proposal grants individuals the right to sue AI developers if they suffer harm caused by specific systems.
The legislative package also mandates that AI systems undergo third-party verification before being marketed or deployed within the city. Developers will be required to include a human-controlled emergency shutdown switch in their products. Furthermore, chatbot providers must adhere to strict data privacy, security, and transparency regulations to allow for city enforcement.
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has scheduled a hearing on AI risks and safeguards for October 5, with all 51 council members expected to attend. Adams has formally requested the CEOs of Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, SpaceX AI, and Meta to testify, noting that the council may exercise its subpoena power to ensure their participation.
