New York City is preparing to implement one of the most important AI safety laws in the country. The state opened a registration portal on Tuesday, and large frontier AI developers such as Anthropic and OpenAI have until January 1, 2027 to register.
New York State’s security and transparency bill, the RAISE Act, will go into effect at the beginning of the year. The law requires large frontier developers (companies with annual revenues of more than $500 million) to publish their safety frameworks on their websites, report critical safety incidents within 72 hours, and issue public model transparency reports.
The newly created Department of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity and Trust (DIGIT) will implement the RAISE Act and oversee large-scale frontier AI labs. Fines can reach $1 million for a single violation and $3 million for subsequent violations.
The state could also take enforcement action against businesses that don’t register on the new portal, but the spokesperson declined to provide further details.
“The big names in technology are telling us that their vision for AI is inevitable,” Gov. Cathy Hochul said at a news conference Tuesday. “They told us to get on board or be left behind… They said the collateral damage would be worth it as long as we win the race to the AI cliff.”
On Tuesday, Hochul also launched the New York Center for AI Accountability and Research, based at SUNY Binghamton University. The center will independently evaluate the safety, security and operability of advanced AI systems and work with DIGIT to review corporate safety frameworks. Hochul first announced in January that he would establish the center with $55 million in donations and capital.
“We are building a national model for smart and prudent AI regulation, one that puts communities over companies and people over powerful technology,” Hochul said.
The RAISE Act is not the only safety law passed by New York State. Last year, the state began implementing a law requiring AI companion operators to regularly notify users that they are talking to a bot and make reasonable efforts to detect suicidal thoughts or self-harm.
In October, Hochul signed another chatbot safety law for minors, restricting behaviors such as deceptive human-like interactions, emotional manipulation and condescending responses, and encouragement of behaviors such as suicide and eating disorders. This law takes effect on June 1, 2027.
Other states have passed similar AI safety and transparency bills into the RAISE Act. California’s SB 53, which went into effect in January, requires Frontier AI Institute to develop and publish a safety framework, establish whistleblower protections, and report serious safety incidents within 15 days. Illinois’ SB 315, which goes into effect in early 2027, has similar requirements and also includes independent safety compliance audits.
If you make a purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect editorial independence.
