NYC Mayor Mamdani Says Federal Government Has Abdicated on AI Regulation

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Monday night at Webster Hall in Manhattan that the rapid spread of artificial intelligence is not inevitable and that the U.S. federal government has effectively abdicated its role in regulating the technology. With little action at the national level, cities are left to act on their own.

Mamdani spoke at The People’s AI Assembly, an event hosted by the AI Now Institute, a think tank that studies the social implications of AI. Activist and "Broad City" star Ilana Glazer put questions to the mayor. He urged New Yorkers to resist the feeling that AI will inevitably take their jobs, shape their children's minds and erode their dignity.

City measures

Last month, Mamdani ordered a ban on AI use in elementary and middle schools. Glazer, a parent, said AI's arrival in classrooms makes her nervous and feels non-consensual.

Over the summer, the mayor also introduced a policy that would require landlords, brokers and real estate platforms to clearly disclose when listing photos or videos are AI-generated. It is meant to protect residents from misleading listings.

Criticism of federal approach

Mamdani pointed to a "reckless adoption of technology" without regard for its limits, citing the U.S. military's February strike on a school in Iran that killed more than 150 people, including at least 123 children. Officials involved in the Pentagon's internal investigation told Bloomberg that overreliance on AI in targeting was one factor in the attack.

The mayor described talk of AI as infallible as an attempt to escape accountability without jeopardizing company valuations ahead of public listings. Anthropic is expected to go public this year, and OpenAI has said it will do so in 2027.

President Donald Trump's Superintelligence Task Force, announced earlier this month, largely focuses on letting AI companies regulate themselves rather than creating new federal restrictions. Mamdani said that after the current administration, a very different framework for thinking about AI and accountability is needed.