02-19-2026
Employer Insight: New York Governor Kathy Hochul plans to create a new office to oversee the implementation and enforcement of AI. The proposed “Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity, and Trust” (DIGIT) will coordinate online safety and technology governance throughout the state. New York currently has laws addressing matters such as online safety, social media, algorithmic pricing, AI synthetic performers, and AI chatbots.
Gov. Hochul shared her intention to introduce new legislation directed at reducing deceptive AI-generated content such as “deepfakes.” She wants this type of content to display where it came from and who created it. The governor also intends to target data brokers operating in the state, creating a system that allows individuals to submit “a single, centralized request” for data brokers to delete their personal information. New York has been one of the most active states to pursue AI governance.
Currently, New York requires companies operating in the state to share if “technological innovation or automation” resulted in job loss. Over 160 companies have filed notices of mass layoffs within the state over the last eleven months. However, Wired reports that so far, no company has admitted to job loss related to AI. Major employers, including Amazon, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley, have publicly shared plans to adopt AI tools, but none selected “technological innovation or automation” as the reason for their layoffs in New York.