governor kathy hochul has signed the raise act into law, making new york the second u.s. state after california to pass comprehensive legislation aimed at ensuring artificial intelligence safety. the bill, originally passed by the state legislature in june, faced significant pressure from tech industry lobbyists, prompting hochul to propose amendments that would scale back certain provisions. however, after negotiations, she agreed to sign the original version, with lawmakers committing to implement her requested changes in the coming year. the raise act mandates that large-scale ai developers disclose their safety protocols and report any safety incidents to the state within 72 hours. it also establishes a dedicated office within the department of financial services to oversee ai development and compliance. companies that fail to submit required reports or provide false information may face penalties of up to $1 million, with fines increasing to $3 million for repeat violations. hochul emphasized the importance of the law in the absence of federal action, stating that it builds on california’s recently enacted framework and creates a unified standard among the nation’s leading tech states. “while the federal government lags behind, failing to implement common-sense regulations that protect the public, new york is stepping up,” she said. state senator and bill co-sponsor andrew gounardes hailed the passage as a victory against industry influence, declaring, “big tech thought they could weasel their way into killing our bill. we shut them down and passed the strongest ai safety law in the country.” notably, major ai companies such as openai and anthropic have publicly supported the legislation, though they also urged for the development of federal standards. anthropic’s head of external affairs, sarah heck, told the new york times that the actions of new york and california underscore the urgency of safety and should encourage congress to act. however, not all in the tech sector are aligned. a super pac backed by a16z and openai president greg brockman is now targeting assemblyman alex bores, the bill’s co-sponsor, in an effort to challenge his re-election. bores acknowledged the pushback with characteristic candor, saying, “i appreciate how straightforward they’re being about it.” this legislative momentum comes amid broader national tensions over regulatory authority. following president donald trump’s recent executive order directing federal agencies to contest state-level ai laws, the federal government has signaled a push to limit states’ regulatory power. the order, supported by trump’s ai czar david sacks, is expected to face legal challenges, continuing a growing conflict between state innovation and federal oversight in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.