ALBANY, NY - This week, New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, and Assemblymembers Steve Otis and Michaelle Solages, hosted AI Week in the New York State Capitol. The legislators hosted 4 days of programming featuring various sponsors and cosponsors of priority AI legislation, Maria Raine, the mother of the late Adam Raine, and advocates from organizations like Common Sense Media, the National Association of Social Workers, and Food & Water Watch. 

Senator Gonzalez and Assemblymember Solages began the week with a presentation to the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Caucus on the need to meet this moment. They spoke on a suite of AI bills and called to pass legislation to address the increased risks to workers, children, those seeking mental or professional care, and other concerns New Yorkers are facing due to the rapid adoption and use of AI. 

On Tuesday, May 12, Senator Gonzalez introduced Maria Raine on the Senate floor, relayed the story of Adam Raine and their family to the chamber, and presented her with a proclamation to honor her advocacy for young people’s safety amidst high volume chatbot usage. Maria Raine’s visit was coordinated with Common Sense Media and the National Association of Social Workers’ Advocacy Day. Maria and the organizations attended various meetings with the legislature on S9051A, a bill to prohibit AI chatbots with unsafe features from being used by young people, and S8484, a bill to ban the use of chatbots in mental healthcare. 

Day 3 of AI Week focused on the disruptions to New Yorkers’ quality of life that working families are experiencing as the state surpasses 130 operational data centers. Senator Gonzalez, co-prime sponsors a bill to enact a 3-year moratorium on the issuance of permits for data centers in New York with Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Anna Kelles. Food and Water Watch, 100+ advocates for sustainability and affordability, Assemblymember Kelles, and many more supporting legislators joined Senator Gonzalez on the Million Dollar Staircase on Wednesday to call for the passage of the bill. New Yorkers from across the state rallied for a pause on data center development to give the state more time to address the issues of high energy demand, unfair hikes to utility rates, fresh water usage, noise pollution and other environmental impacts. 

The week of programming commenced with a legislative briefing on The New York AI Act (S.1169A) and the release of Senator Gonzalez’s Report on the High-Risk Use Cases of AI. This report summarizes the testimonies and findings of the Senator’s legislative hearing from January 2026 to discuss risks, solutions, and best practices with respect to the use of artificial intelligence in consequential or high-risk contexts, and related issues, such as classification of the types and risk levels of AI uses. The report also includes the industry, labor, and academics’ feedback on the bill.

Priority bills discussed:

• The New York AI Act (S.1169A/A.8884) 
• A Prohibition on Unsafe Chatbot Features for Minors S.9051/A.10379A
• The Oversight of Technology in Mental Healthcare Act (S.8484/A.9106)
• AI Literacy Act (S.7691/ A.6874A)
• The Election Content Accountability Act (S.7963/A.8523)
• The Bossware and Oppressive Technology (BOT) Act (S.10147/A.3779A)
• The Accountability of Costs for Data Centers Act (S.8540/A.9039A)
• The NY Sustainable Data Centers Act (S.6394A/A.9086A)
• A 3-Year Moratorium on Data Centers  S.9144/A.10141

Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “New York has a responsibility to lead with strong AI regulation. I was proud to host AI week alongside Assemblymembers Steve Otis and Michaelle Solages to call attention to the real world impacts of unregulated technology. For too long Big Tech has reaped the benefits of the AI economy while everyday people have paid the price of risky AI tools, automated bias, and new data centers. This week we introduced Maria Raine on the Senate floor to share the story of her son Adam, who died by suicide with the help of ChatGPT, and illustrate the importance of protections for minors using AI chatbots, like those in our bill S9051A. We rallied with 100 advocates for a 3 year moratorium on hyperscale data centers that exploit local resources. Finally, we released a report on the NY AI Act, briefing our colleagues on the necessity for corporations to responsibly steward AI tools.  It is clear through this week that New Yorkers are demanding we reign in Big Tech — both online and in our communities. In the final weeks of the legislative session, we must protect our constituents from the many harms of AI .”

Assemblymember Michaelle Solages said, “I’m proud to have partnered with Senator Gonzalez and Assemblymember Otis to host the 2026 AI Week. As artificial intelligence continues to rapidly evolve it’s imperative we continue conversations about how it can impact our communities and demonstrate proactive leadership by introducing guardrails in the law. The New York AI Act does just that by regulating the use of high-risk AI systems to make decisions that impact the lives of New Yorkers. I'm glad to have Senator Gonzalez as a partner on this important issue.”

Assemblymember Steve Otis said, "Congratulations to all the participants for a successful AI week. AI continues to present many challenges for governments and it is important to continue to highlight those concerns and work towards responsible innovation.”

Danny Weiss, Chief Advocacy Officer at Common Sense Media said, “"Common Sense Media applauds Sen. Gonzalez for leading AI Week in Albany to shine a light on the risks to kids and teens from AI. And we strongly encourage the legislature and Governor Hochul to end this session on a high note by adopting one of the most important pieces of legislation in the country to protect kids and teens from unsafe AI chatbots. S.9051 and A.10379 by Sen. Gonzalez and Assemb. Bores, with strong support from Attorney General James, would deliver what parents across New York are demanding – leadership on AI and essential protections for their kids, who are uniquely vulnerable to manipulative features on generative AI chatbots. We were honored to spend time with Maria Raine in the Capitol this week as she courageously shared her harrowing story about a chatbot that coached her teen son to suicide. Passing this legislation will help to ensure that New York parents do not have to experience that same tragedy.”

Dr. Shakira Kennedy, LMSW, NY Executive Director of The National Association of Social Workers said, “New York was honored to have Maria Raine at the Capitol advocating for thoughtful AI regulation that protects children, preserve human connection,  and safeguard the integrity of the Behavioral Health Profession.  As technology evolves, the well-being of communities should always be centered.”

Laura Shindell, New York State Director of Food and Water Watch said, “"New Yorkers are crying out for lower utility bills and a healthier environment, and data centers are standing squarely in the way of those goals. We're so grateful for Senator Gonzalez's leadership to rein in Big Tech, and we had an incredibly powerful lobby day fighting for the moratorium on data centers legislation as part of Senator Gonzalez's AI week. A moratorium on data centers is the logical next step for the state legislature, especially given all the talk around affordability and reliability of the electric grid. We simply need more time to plan how to deal with this enormous industry. AI and data centers are a runaway train right now, but if the legislature acts quickly to pass the moratorium bill this year, we can stop the data center train in its tracks and implement necessary guardrails."