Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday the establishment of the New York Center for AI Responsibility and Research (NYCAIRR), marking the state's initiative to independently evaluate advanced AI systems. The center, based at Binghamton University, will bring together over 80 scientists and researchers from various institutions across New York. NYCAIRR's mandate includes understanding how AI systems function, verifying their intended behavior, and assessing their safety and security. The center will also explore responsible AI applications in scientific discovery and medicine.
The creation of NYCAIRR follows Governor Hochul's earlier announcement in January, which included a $30 million donation from Bloomberg co-founder Tom Secunda and others. An additional $25 million in matching research funds from the State University of New York and the state government also supports the center. NYCAIRR will utilize the computing resources of Empire AI, a $500 million public-private partnership focused on advancing AI research for public benefit. Empire AI, launched in April 2024, aims to counter the concentration of AI resources among large technology companies.
Interim co-directors for the New York Center for AI Responsibility and Research are Greg Morrisett, Vice Provost of Cornell Tech, and Jeannette Wing, Executive Vice President for Research at Columbia University. Their initial goals include recruiting specialists in areas such as cybersecurity, privacy, AI system design, and scientific research.
The independent testing program emerges as New York seeks to establish its own AI safety oversight, with Governor Hochul stating that "the stakes are too high to simply take AI companies at their word." This initiative operates in a context where the federal government has adopted a voluntary framework for AI safety, rather than mandatory regulations.
The center is expected to be operational before January 1, 2027, when New York's RAISE Act takes effect. Signed into law by Governor Hochul last year, the RAISE Act requires major AI developers to register with the state and publish safety frameworks and transparency reports. Companies must also report critical safety-related incidents within 72 hours. While the RAISE Act will compel greater disclosure from AI companies, NYCAIRR's testing capabilities will be limited to publicly available information, meaning confidential models still under development will not be accessible for independent review.