New York considers 2 major bills to regulate AI
What's the story
The New York state legislature is considering two major bills aimed at regulating the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. The first bill, dubbed the New York Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Requirements in News Act (NY FAIR News Act), seeks to mandate labeling for AI-generated content. It also calls for a human review and approval process before any such content is published.
Transparency requirements
It mandates labeling for AI-generated content
The NY FAIR News Act goes a step further by requiring organizations to inform newsroom employees about the use of AI. It also calls for measures to protect confidential information, particularly details about sources, from being accessed by AI. This is an effort to maintain editorial integrity and safeguard sensitive information in newsrooms amid the growing influence of AI technology.
Data center regulation
A 3-year pause on new data centers
The second bill, S9144, proposes a three-year pause on issuing permits for new data centers. The move comes in light of rising electric and gas rates for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. National Grid New York has noted that requests for "large load" connections have tripled in a year with at least 10 gigawatts of demand expected over the next five years.
Current situation
Data centers are straining power grids
Currently, there are more than 130 data centers across New York, as per Data Center Map. The state recently approved a 9% rate hike for Con Edison customers over the next three years. This comes as electric bills continue to rise nationwide due to the pressure datacenters are putting on power grids.