New York State has initiated the full implementation of its Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act, a new law that imposes transparency, safety, and reporting requirements on developers of advanced artificial intelligence models. The law, which Governor Kathy Hochul signed on December 19, 2025, with final amendments signed on March 27, 2026, will become effective on January 1, 2027.Under the RAISE Act, developers of "frontier AI models", defined as foundation models trained with more than 10^26 operations, must publish transparency reports and notify authorities of critical safety incidents within 72 hours. Companies categorized as "large frontier developers," those with over $500 million in annual revenue, face additional obligations. These include publishing a frontier AI framework and filing a disclosure statement with a new office within the Department of Financial Services. New York has launched an online portal for these large frontier AI developers to register with the state by the January 1, 2027, deadline.The legislation aims to address potential risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems. A "catastrophic risk" under the law is a foreseeable risk where a frontier model could contribute to the death or serious injury of more than 50 people, or over $1 billion in property damage, through actions such as assisting with chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons, or engaging in cyberattacks without human oversight. The law also covers conduct that would constitute murder, assault, extortion, or theft if performed by a person.Enforcement of the RAISE Act falls to the New York Attorney General, who can levy civil penalties of up to $1 million for a first violation and up to $3 million for subsequent violations. These penalties can be imposed for failures to publish or transmit required documents, making false statements, not reporting incidents, or non-compliance with a company's own AI framework. The law does not create a private right of action, meaning individuals cannot directly sue under its provisions.Separately, New York has also enacted a chatbot safety law specifically for minors, signed into law on October 28, 2026, by Governor Hochul. This companion bot law, effective January 1, 2027, prohibits AI chatbots from offering "unsafe AI companion features" to users under 18. Prohibited features include chatbots pretending to be human, claiming a personal relationship with a user, or acting as an authority figure. The law also bans outputs that promote self-harm, drug use, or sexually explicit content to minors. Operators must employ "reasonable" age-assurance methods, not relying solely on self-declaration of age. The Attorney General also holds rulemaking and enforcement authority for this law, with potential civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation.The RAISE Act marks New York as the second U.S. state, after California, to regulate frontier AI model developers. California's Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act (TFAIA) was signed in September 2025. New York's legislation is part of a broader effort within the state to establish a comprehensive AI regulatory framework, which also includes laws addressing AI in employment decision-making and consumer-facing AI systems. The state is also proposing the RAISE Act 2.0, which would expand oversight and potentially allow state officials to limit computing power used by major AI developers.