New York Passes RAISE Act to Mandate Safety Frameworks for Frontier AI Models
Governor Kathy Hochul signs the RAISE Act, requiring major AI developers to publish safety protocols and report harmful incidents within 72 hours. The law creates a new state oversight office and imposes hefty financial penalties for non-compliance.
Governor Kathy Hochul signs the RAISE Act, establishing a nation-leading standard for artificial intelligence transparency and safety in New York. The legislation requires developers of powerful frontier AI models to create and publish detailed information about their safety protocols. These companies must also report any incidents of critical harm to the State within 72 hours of determining that an event occurred.
The new law creates a dedicated oversight office within the New York State Department of Financial Services to evaluate large AI developers and ensure public transparency. This office issues annual reports on the state of frontier AI safety. Governor Hochul notes that this legislation builds on California's recent framework, establishing a unified benchmark among top tech states while the federal government delays implementing common-sense AI regulations.
To enforce these new requirements, the legislation grants the Attorney General the authority to bring civil actions against developers who fail to submit required reports or provide false statements. Companies face severe financial penalties for non-compliance, with fines reaching up to $1 million for a first violation and up to $3 million for subsequent offenses. These strict measures aim to hold the biggest AI developers accountable as the technology continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace.