New York, NY <\/strong>\u2014 Today, the New York City Council and Chair Jennifer Guti\u00e9rrez passed the GUARD Act \u2014 Guaranteeing Unbiased AI Regulation and Disclosure<\/strong> \u2014 one of the first comprehensive municipal frameworks in the nation designed to bring real oversight, accountability, and transparency to the City\u2019s use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision systems (ADS).<\/p>\n For years, AI and ADS have quietly shaped high-stakes decisions for New Yorkers \u2014 who gets housing, how the NYPD takes action, <\/a>who is flagged by enforcement<\/a>, how benefits are distributed, how to interact with the government<\/a>, and which neighborhoods receive resources. But under the Adams administration, the Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) talked a big game about being \u201cAI-ready\u201d while failing to build any of the guardrails needed to actually manage the technology. Although OTI released an AI Action Plan in 2023, the plan\u2019s principles and guidance are voluntary to integrate, lack enforcement, and do not include required compliance measures. OTI released strategies without enforcement, guidance without standards, and \u201coversight\u201d without any real authority. Agencies were effectively left on their own \u2014 deploying tools with no centralized review, no transparency, and no meaningful accountability \u2013 and on many occasions, not being able to deploy tools at all. <\/p>\n With this package of bills, that era ends.<\/p>\n \u201cWe teach children right and wrong, and we hold doctors and engineers to professional standards \u2014 but until now, we\u2019ve had none for artificial intelligence,\u201d<\/em> said Council Member Jennifer Guti\u00e9rrez, Chair of the Committee on Technology. <\/strong>\u201cThe GUARD Act finally puts real oversight <\/em>and<\/em> support in place \u2014 not voluntary guidelines or feel-good strategies, but enforceable standards. We are governing AI before it governs us, and giving the next administration an actual system to build on, not a patchwork of stopgaps.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAs artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into city operations, we have a responsibility to ensure it serves New Yorkers\u2019 best interests. My legislation, Intro 926, creates clear, responsible standards for AI use across city agencies to ensure fairness, safeguard privacy, and increase transparency in government technology. As AI transforms decision-making processes, we cannot afford to move forward without proper oversight and I thank Council Member Guti\u00e9rrez for her advocacy to pass the GUARD Act. This package of legislation establishes essential guardrails to protect the rights of all New Yorkers,\u201d <\/em>said Council Member Julie Menin<\/strong><\/p>\n The vote comes alongside:<\/strong><\/p>\n The GUARD Act establishes three critical pillars of AI governance:<\/strong><\/p>\n With the passage of the GUARD Act, New York City becomes a national benchmark for municipal AI regulation \u2014 proving that cities can embrace technological advancement without surrendering public accountability, civil rights, or democratic values.<\/p>\n ###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The GUARD Act package includes creation of the first municipal AI oversight office, minimum standards for ethical use, and a public directory of all reviewed City AI systems \u2014 alongside the Council\u2019s AI Positioning Document and new Grassroots AI Digital Literacy Initiative.<\/p>\n\n
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