New York: Mamdani Regulates AI and Calls for Resistance

In Manhattan, Zohran Mamdani criticized federal inaction on AI and advocated for corporate accountability. New York has already banned AI in elementary and middle schools and requires transparency regarding generated real estate images. The elected official contests the notion of inevitable adoption, set against a backdrop of self-regulation promoted at the national level and IPO plans at Anthropic and OpenAI.

A Contested Federal Framework and Highlighted Risks

Mamdani criticizes what he sees as an abdication of AI regulation at the federal level. He believes that the national discussion on artificial intelligence is often framed as an arms race with China, to the detriment of humanistic concerns. The Superintelligence Task Force announced by Donald Trump earlier this month favors self-regulation of AI companies over new federal restrictions. This position comes as whistleblowers from Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and OpenAI have reported that artificial intelligence could lead to human extinction. To illustrate potential risks, Mamdani cites a U.S. attack in February on a school in Iran, which resulted in the deaths of over 150 people, including at least 123 children; according to officials involved in the Pentagon's internal investigation, excessive reliance on AI in the targeting process contributed to this event. Mamdani believes that once the current federal administration ends, it will be necessary to fundamentally rethink the framework for addressing, discussing, and structuring accountability related to AI.

New York Bans AI in Schools and Mandates Real Estate Transparency

Last month, Mamdani banned the use of AI in elementary and middle schools. Over the summer, he also introduced a policy requiring property owners, brokers, and real estate platforms to clearly disclose when photos or videos in listings are generated by AI, in order to protect New Yorkers from scams and misleading advertisements. These two measures challenge the idea that schools and the public must automatically accept AI, in a context where the federal government is largely inactive and leaves cities to face these issues alone. As a parent, Ilana Glazer expressed her concern about the arrival of AI in classrooms, noting that this technology was not present two years ago and questioning its place in schools.

Call for Corporate Accountability and Breaking from Inevitability

At The People’s AI Assembly, organized by the AI Now Institute, Mamdani stated that the rapid deployment of AI is not inevitable and called on public officials to hold companies accountable. He urged New Yorkers to resist the idea that AI will take over their jobs, their children's minds, and their dignity, declaring that "nothing is inevitable" and evoking a sense of intrusion and overwhelm. This message was conveyed on Monday evening at Webster Hall in Manhattan, during a public discussion with Ilana Glazer, who questioned him about the future of AI in society.

The Discourse of Infalibility and the Horizon of IPOs

Mamdani denounces a narrative that presents AI as infallible and only regulable by its own creators, reminding that Facebook made similar arguments in 2008. He sees this as an attempt to evade responsibility while preserving the potential valuation associated with an IPO. In this context, Anthropic is expected to enter public markets this year, and OpenAI has announced it aims for an IPO in 2027.