New York’s landmark artificial intelligence (AI) safety bill, initially intended to hold tech companies accountable for large-scale AI risks, was significantly weakened before being signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. A coalition of tech giants and prominent academic institutions spent an estimated $17,000 to $25,000 on an advertising campaign opposing the bill, reaching over two million people on Meta’s platforms. The final version of the law, known as the RAISE Act, now favors tech companies by reducing transparency requirements and lowering penalties for safety violations.
The Push to Defang the Bill
The RAISE Act originally mandated that AI developers—including OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google—must submit safety plans and report major incidents to the attorney general. The initial draft included strict criteria for preventing the release of AI models that could cause mass harm, such as those enabling the creation of weapons of mass destruction. However, these clauses were removed in the final version signed by Governor Hochul.
The AI Alliance, a group consisting of Meta, IBM, Intel, Oracle, Uber, and over 150 universities (including NYU, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Carnegie Mellon), led the effort to weaken the legislation. The alliance argued that the RAISE Act would “stifle job growth” and hinder innovation in New York’s tech sector.
Universities’ Role in Opposition
Many of the universities involved in the AI Alliance have direct or indirect partnerships with AI companies. Northeastern University, for example, provides its students and faculty with access to Anthropic’s Claude AI model. OpenAI has funded initiatives at NYU, while Dartmouth and Carnegie Mellon have active collaborations with Anthropic. Despite these ties, most institutions did not respond when asked whether they were aware of their involvement in the anti-bill ad campaign.
Broader Opposition to AI Regulation
The AI Alliance is not the only organization opposing stricter AI regulations. Leading the Future, a pro-AI super PAC backed by Perplexity AI, Andreessen Horowitz, and OpenAI executives, also spent money on ads targeting key lawmakers. The alliance presents itself as a collaborative effort focused on “safety, ethics, and the greater good,” while in practice it actively lobbies against measures that would increase accountability for AI development.
The outcome of this lobbying effort highlights the growing tension between AI innovation and public safety. The weakened RAISE Act demonstrates how powerful tech companies and academic institutions can influence policy to minimize regulatory oversight. This raises critical questions about whether current oversight mechanisms are sufficient to address the potential risks of rapidly advancing AI technologies.
