New York Turns Up the Heat on OpenAI and Anthropic With New AI Safety Rules
New York is tightening oversight of the artificial intelligence industry, launching a registration portal ahead of new safety requirements that will force major AI developers, including OpenAI and Anthropic, to disclose more about how they manage risks.
The portal is part of the state’s Responsible AI Safety and Education Act, which takes effect Jan. 1, TechCrunch reported. Qualifying frontier AI developers with more than $500 million in annual revenue must register with the state by that date and comply with new transparency and safety reporting requirements.
Under the law, companies must publish their AI safety frameworks, report critical safety incidents within 72 hours and release public transparency reports detailing their models.
Enforcement will fall to a newly established state office, the Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity, and Trust, or DIGIT. Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to $1 million for a first violation and $3 million for subsequent violations.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized what she described as the industry’s push to prioritize AI development over public safety during a Tuesday briefing.
“Tech moguls tell us that their vision for AI is inevitable,” Hochul said. “They tell us get on board or get left behind…That any collateral damage is worth it as long as we win the race to the AI cliff.”
The RAISE Act is part of a broader push by New York to regulate AI developers. Another law covering AI companion services is already in effect, requiring chatbots to repeatedly disclose that they are AI systems and take reasonable steps to identify suicidal ideation and self-harm.
Hochul also signed legislation in October aimed at protecting minors from certain chatbot behaviors. That measure is scheduled to take effect June 1.
Other states are advancing similar rules. California’s SB 53 takes effect in January, while Illinois’ SB 315 is expected to begin in early 2027. Both include requirements for safety disclosures and incident reporting, while Illinois also calls for independent compliance audits.
Hochul also announced a new research hub at SUNY Binghamton, called the New York Center for AI Responsibility and Research. The center will independently evaluate advanced AI systems for safety and security and work with DIGIT to review companies’ safety frameworks.
The initiative was previously unveiled in January with $55 million in donations and capital.
“We’re building a national model for smart, sensible AI regulation, a model that puts communities above corporations and people above powerful technology,” Hochul said at the time.
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