New York’s AI safety law takes effect in January as registration opens for large developers
Written by AI
New York’s AI safety law, the RAISE Act, requires large developers such as OpenAI and Anthropic to register by 1 January 2027 and, from the start of the year, to publish their safety frameworks and report critical safety incidents within 72 hours.
New York State opened a registration portal for its AI safety law on Tuesday 10 November, according to TechCrunch. Large companies developing frontier models must register through the portal by 1 January 2027. The RAISE Act takes effect at the start of the year.
Under the law, large frontier developers are companies with more than $500 million in annual revenue, TechCrunch reported. They must publish their safety frameworks on their websites and issue public transparency reports on their models. In AI, a safety framework is a developer’s public description of how it assesses and manages the risks of its models.
The newly created Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity, and Trust (DIGIT) will implement the law and oversee large developers. Penalties can reach $1 million for a first violation and $3 million for subsequent ones.
The state can also take action against a company that fails to register. A state spokesperson, however, declined to say what that action would be.
State opens its own evaluation centre
On Tuesday, Governor Kathy Hochul also opened the New York Center for AI Responsibility and Research at Binghamton University, part of the State University of New York (SUNY). The centre is intended to evaluate the safety, security and operation of advanced AI systems independently. It will also review companies’ safety frameworks with DIGIT. Hochul first announced the centre in January, when its funding was put at $55 million in donations and capital.
‘We’re building a national model for smart, sensible AI regulation, a model that puts communities above corporations and people above powerful technology,’ Hochul said.
California allows more time to report incidents
Other states have passed similar laws. California’s SB 53, which took effect in January, requires frontier model developers to publish a safety framework and protect whistleblowers, TechCrunch reported. California gives developers 15 days to report critical safety incidents; New York gives 72 hours. Illinois’ SB 315 takes effect at the start of 2027. It has similar requirements and also requires independent audits of companies’ compliance with safety requirements.
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