UPDATE – JUNE 2025:
New York City has continued implementing its Artificial Intelligence Action Plan. It has moved most of the plan’s 37 actions from early-stage pilots to operational or completed initiatives. The Office of Technology and Innovation released its first annual progress report in late 2025. They also indicated that approximately 30–35 actions have been initiated or completed. That includes citywide AI principles, generative AI deployment guidance, and formal advisory mechanisms for expert consultation. Also, the city’s AI Steering structure and networked advisory programs have expanded alongside ongoing pilots like the MyCity chatbot.
In November 2025, the New York City Council unanimously passed the GUARD Act package. It establishes a new Office of Algorithmic Accountability to oversee reporting, procurement rules, tool assessments, and AI governance requirements across agencies. The legislation addresses regulatory gaps left by the Action Plan’s largely guidance-based approach. Also, it moves the city toward more structured algorithmic oversight. At the same time, broader economic and strategic initiatives advanced through NYCEDC. They also released an AI competitiveness report in July 2025 outlining 18 commitments—including a $3 million NYC AI Nexus initiative to support AI adoption, talent pipelines, and partnerships.
State-level developments also expanded the policy environment, with Governor Hochul signing the RAISE Act in December 2025 to promote advanced AI safety standards. Local Law 144 (the NYC Bias Audit Law) remains fully enforced for automated employment decision tools and continues to serve as a major compliance driver for businesses operating in the city.
ORIGINAL NEWS STORY:
NYC Introduces a New Framework for Evaluating AI
With Local Law 144, also known as the NYC Bias Law, now in full effect, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, alongside Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser and others, has introduced a new framework to evaluate AI. Therefore, on Monday, October 16, Mayor Adams presented the comprehensive New York City Artificial Intelligence Action Plan. It outlines the city’s commitment to harnessing AI’s potential to enhance services and processes for all New Yorkers. The plan is specifically crafted to ensure the responsible and equitable use of AI for the entire community.
The Office of Technology and Innovation collaboratively developed the 51-page plan. It engaged 50 city employees from 18 agencies and gathered insights from leaders in industry, society, and academia. In the introductory segment of the plan, Mayor Adams addressed New Yorkers, underscoring the significance and possibilities AI holds for safety, opportunity, and efficiency citywide. Acknowledging the rewards and risks associated with AI, Mayor Adams emphasized the paramount importance of its responsible utilization. Also, this sentiment was echoed in a subsequent letter from CTO Fraser, who stressed community engagement throughout the AI systems’ development and deployment.
The plan encompasses the city’s ongoing AI-related initiatives and delineates seven key initiatives, featuring 37 specific actions to address a broad spectrum of issues. These initiatives encompass establishing a responsible use framework for AI in the city government, creating a coordinated approach to AI governance and management, developing a process to identify and assess high-risk AI systems, ensuring transparency, fairness, and explainability of AI systems, promoting responsible data sharing and collaboration across multiple agencies, investing in the city’s AI ecosystem, and building public understanding and awareness of AI and its impacts. Also, each action item includes timelines, responsible parties, and expected outcomes, with officials aiming to complete 27 specific actions within the next year.
NYC AI Action Plan Launches AI Steering Committee
As a preliminary step, the plan calls for the establishment of an “AI Steering Committee.” It’ll be compromised of stakeholders from across the city. Concurrent with the plan’s unveiling, the government announced the testing of the first citywide AI-powered chatbot. This chatbot, available on the MyCity Business site, assists business owners with operations and growth in the city. Leveraging Microsoft’s Azure AI services, the chatbot was trained on information from over 2,000 NYC business web pages. Overall, the plan is a comprehensive and ambitious effort to leverage AI’s power for the collective benefit of New Yorkers. It not only establishes a blueprint for responsible AI use but also fosters transparency, collaboration, talent development, and community engagement. Therefore, New York City aims to ensure that AI is employed ethically, equitably, and to the benefit of all.
Need Help?
For organizations subject to NYC’s Bias Audit Law or evaluating AI governance obligations, BABL AI provides independent audits, risk assessments, and compliance guidance.
