New York's RAISE Act requires the world's largest artificial intelligence developers to publish their safety protocols and report critical incidents within 72 hours.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state law is intended to impose accountability and transparency requirements as federal officials debate how to regulate increasingly powerful AI systems.
The law allows civil penalties when covered developers fail to follow its requirements, Hochul said. Her remarks did not specify the penalty amounts or identify which companies currently meet the law's threshold for coverage.
Hochul framed the measure as a response to warnings from people involved in building advanced AI systems and to what she described as a lack of action in Washington. She said New York would continue considering additional state-level safeguards.
The governor did not announce a new enforcement action or report a specific violation. Her remarks focused on the law's disclosure and incident-reporting rules and on the state's broader effort to regulate the physical infrastructure supporting AI development.
Data center pause remains in effect
Hochul also tied the AI safety push to New York's one-year moratorium on hyperscale AI data centers. She said the pause is intended to give the state time to address effects including noise, water use, farmland pressure and demand on the electric grid.
The governor said large data centers should provide their own energy or pay a premium to use power from the state's grid. She argued that the facilities' electricity demands could work against efforts to lower costs for New Yorkers.
The moratorium does not amount to a permanent ban. It pauses affected development while state agencies work on energy and environmental rules and while local governments consider whether and under what conditions they want to host large projects.
Communities receive negotiation framework
Hochul said her administration has published a community investment framework for municipalities that are open to hosting hyperscale data centers. The framework is designed as a negotiating guide, not a state-negotiated agreement or an order requiring communities to accept projects.
The guidance is meant to help local officials seek benefits their residents consider important, including roads, other infrastructure, medical centers and schools. It also addresses ways communities may try to limit or offset negative effects associated with a project.
Hochul said local governments are best positioned to decide what fits their communities. The state cannot negotiate individual development agreements for them, she said, but can provide a roadmap for pursuing economic benefits and protections.
Communities that choose to host a facility would still have to negotiate the terms of any agreement with the developer. The framework does not guarantee project approval or replace other state and local review requirements.
The administration said it plans to continue discussing the framework and the data center moratorium during the yearlong pause. Hochul did not provide a timetable for additional AI legislation or regulatory action in her remarks.
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