Hochul says New York is using AI to review state rules
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told Bloomberg that AI is helping her team search state rules and policies for outdated requirements.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said her administration is using artificial intelligence to review the state’s rules, regulations and policies for provisions that may be obsolete. The effort matters because Hochul told Bloomberg’s Odd Lots podcast that a manual review across state government could have taken years.
In the Bloomberg interview, Hochul said her team is applying AI to examine “every single rule, regulation, [and] policy” in New York. She described the project as a way to find old requirements that remain on the books even if they no longer fit modern life.
Hochul pointed to examples she characterized as outdated during the interview. She cited a $25 fee connected to taking a dog hunting and a rule requiring pregnant people to get a permit to work after midnight, according to Bloomberg.
The governor said the scale of New York’s legal and regulatory material made the work difficult to complete through staff review alone. Hochul told Bloomberg that examining all of the state’s laws at the staff level “probably would have taken five years.”
AI use follows data center moratorium
The Verge reported that Hochul recently signed a moratorium on new AI data centers in New York. Her Bloomberg comments show the governor drawing a distinction between restricting new AI infrastructure projects and using AI tools inside state government.
Hochul did not frame the technology as a replacement for policy judgment in the remarks reported by Bloomberg. She described it as a way to speed up the search for rules and policies that may need attention from state officials.
The examples she gave suggest the review is focused on identifying provisions that may be outdated, burdensome or disconnected from current standards. Hochul’s comments did not include a public timeline for what happens after the AI-assisted review flags rules for possible action.
The governor’s remarks add New York to the list of governments testing AI for administrative work, while also showing the political tension around the technology. According to The Verge, Hochul has moved to limit new AI data centers even as her administration uses AI to comb through state rules.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.