Washington – With New York’s legislative session wrapping up, the Computer & Communications Industry Association urges Governor Kathy Hochul to veto the RAISE Act (S 6953). The bill would hold AI developers liable for actions that are out of their control and would ban standard safeguards that protect responsible, open AI research. If signed, the bill would stifle innovation and weaken New York’s position as a tech leader.
The proposed law would hold AI developers responsible for how third parties use their tools – even when developers have no control over those uses – and would eliminate the legal protections that developers currently use to manage this risk. The proposed change would be especially harmful for publicly shared AI models, which allow researchers and startups to freely build and improve on each other’s work. Because the original developers can’t oversee every use by every user, legislation that blocks standard safeguards would expose them to lawsuits for things they did not cause or intend. Such a change would force many projects to shut down or move out of state, leaving only tightly controlled limited use AI models and limiting open collaboration that has long powered the internet.
Across the country, policymakers are debating thoughtful approaches to emerging AI technology. CCIA has encouraged both New York Senate and House leadership to focus on clear, workable rules that build public trust and support research, rather than measures that would push innovation elsewhere.
The following statement can be attributed to Kyle Sepe, State Policy Manager for CCIA:
“Lawmakers should take the time to get AI policy right. New York risks undermining its position as a tech leader by adopting sweeping liability rules that punish developers for uses they can’t predict or control. Instead of passing flawed laws at the end of a long legislative session, the state should engage with experts and communities to carefully craft solutions that protect consumers and support innovation.”
