OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2026

New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s announcement that top tech firms have signed accord to 'self-police' AI development:

“Asking AI companies to self-police is like asking the fox to guard the henhouse. From Big Tobacco to Big Tech, we know that, left to their own devices, big corporations have put their profits above people’s safety time and time again. 

“Frontier AI models pose major risks to our communities and our economy. This is a literal life-or-death issue. The best way to mitigate those risks is to implement smart guardrails that hold the biggest AI developers to strict safety and transparency standards. If the federal government is going to completely abdicate its responsibility to keep Americans safe, then states like New York will have to step up and do it ourselves. That’s why I passed the RAISE Act, and why I’ll keep fighting to pass laws that put people first.”

Background:

Last year, Senator Gounardes passed the Responsible AI Safety and Education Act (RAISE) Act, which requires the largest AI companies to create basic safety and security protocols for severe risks such as assisting in the creation of bioweapons or carrying out automated criminal activity. 

More recently, Senator Gounardes has introduced additional legislation to regulate AI. One proposal would require independent third-party auditing of frontier AI models. The other would strengthen mandatory safety frameworks designed to prevent AI models from contributing to catastrophic outcomes, including cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and the development of weapons of mass destruction.

Press Contact:

Billy Richling

Communications Director

State Senator Andrew Gounardes

billy@senatorgounardes.nyc

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