New York lawmakers press Hochul on AI workforce bills

Gov. Kathy Hochul faces pressure from New York lawmakers to move quickly on bills regulating AI and big tech as hundreds of measures await her signature or veto. State Sen. Michelle Hinchey is urging approval of legislation that would require businesses to report to the state Department of Labor how AI is affecting hiring, staffing and operations.

The reporting bill would track employees displaced because of AI, reductions in hours, roles created or expanded by the technology, jobs left unfilled because of AI and the business goals behind its use. Hinchey said the data would help lawmakers prepare workers for future jobs and design protections for the state’s workforce.

The measure passed with bipartisan support and has backing from Upstate United, whose executive director Justin Wilcox said the approach gathers information before setting policy. Hochul’s office pointed to her AI policy commission and her executive order establishing a one year moratorium on data centers under different conditions while her administration reviews broader legislation, including a package with a one-year moratorium on new construction.