# Big Tech Hates This AI Law Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knqUX1HFKxI Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/knqUX1HFKxI Generated: 2026-02-08T01:04:31.438+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview New York Assemblyman Alex Bores discusses how major AI companies like Google, Meta, and OpenAI are aggressively lobbying against his proposed AI safety bill, the "Raise Act," by spending millions on lobbying and campaign donations, and he notes that the bill ultimately passed with bipartisan support despite the industry opposition. **Key Points:** - New York Assemblyman Alex Bores introduced the "Raise Act," aiming to be the strongest AI safety bill in the country, requiring companies to publish public safety plans and report incidents. - Major AI companies, including Google, Meta, and OpenAI, aggressively lobbied against the bill, spending millions on lobbying and campaign donations to prevent its passage. - Bores notes that the industry's argument—that the regulations would kill jobs and harm small businesses—was a strange argument given the scope of the legislation. - The bill was initially drafted in August 2023 and went through several revisions, incorporating feedback from labs and introducing amendments, before passing the Assembly in June 2024. - Despite industry opposition, the final bill passed with bipartisan support, with only one Democrat voting against it, suggesting a strong consensus on the need for regulation. - Bores highlights that trade associations representing these big companies pay membership fees to aggressively fight against state legislation, often writing pre-written opinion pieces for local papers. - The legislation aims to require disclosure of critical safety incidents and public safety plans from large AI developers, which Bores argues is necessary given AI's growing influence on the stock market and economy. ![Screenshot at 00:11: Alex Bores explains that the "Raise Act" he passed is the strongest AI safety bill in the country, requiring public safety plans and incident reporting from major AI companies.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/knqUX1HFKxI/00-00-11.jpg) **Context:** The video features an interview between Andrew Yang and Alex Bores, a New York Assemblyman, discussing legislation aimed at regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety. Bores, who has a background as a computer scientist, spearheaded the development of the "Raise Act" in New York, which seeks to impose transparency and reporting requirements on large AI developers to mitigate potential risks associated with the rapidly advancing technology. ## Detailed Analysis New York Assemblyman Alex Bores details his successful effort to pass the "Raise Act," which he considers the strongest AI safety bill in the nation, requiring large AI companies (like Google, Meta, and OpenAI) to publish public safety plans and report critical safety incidents. Bores, drawing on his computer science background, explains that the legislation took time, starting with a draft in August 2023, undergoing revisions based on feedback from major labs, and finally passing the Assembly in June 2024 with broad bipartisan support. He contrasts this with the aggressive opposition from Big Tech, who spent millions lobbying and donating to campaigns, arguing that the bill would hurt jobs and small businesses—a claim Bores found disingenuous. He notes that industry trade associations actively lobby against state-level regulation, even coordinating media narratives. Yang confirms the reality of this lobbying pressure, mentioning that Big Tech groups often pay membership fees to exert influence. Bores concludes that while the federal government seems slow to act, states like New York are taking necessary steps to manage AI risks, even if the initial bill defaults to requiring study rather than immediate enforcement in some cases. ### AI Safety Legislation (Raise Act) - New York passed the strongest AI safety bill in the country, requiring public safety plans and incident disclosure from major AI companies - The bill was drafted starting August 2023, revised through May/June 2024, and passed with bipartisan support. ### Industry Opposition and Lobbying - Big Tech companies (Google, Meta, OpenAI) spent millions lobbying and donating to oppose the bill, arguing it would kill jobs - Trade associations that companies pay membership fees to aggressively fight state legislation, often by drafting op-eds for local papers. ### Legislative Timeline and Support - The bill passed the Assembly with a bipartisan majority, even though the Governor's office was initially hesitant in May/June 2024 - The pushback from industry led to the bill being less aggressive than initially proposed, though Bores had already told his constituents it would pass. ### Context and Rationale - Bores emphasizes the need for regulation because AI advancements are driving the stock market and economic growth, creating potential risks that require oversight, even if only state-level oversight is currently achievable. ![Screenshot at 00:00: Andrew Yang \(right\) and Alex Bores \(left\) seated for the podcast interview, with Bores' book "Hey Yang" visible on the table between them.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/knqUX1HFKxI/00-00-00.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:10: Alex Bores, identified as New York Assembly District 73, explains the purpose of the AI safety bill he passed.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/knqUX1HFKxI/00-00-10.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:36: Andrew Yang gestures while discussing the political landscape and the opposition to AI regulation.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/knqUX1HFKxI/00-01-36.jpg) ![Screenshot at 04:43: Alex Bores describing the lobbying efforts against his bill, noting that he told his colleagues it would pass despite the industry's attempts to kill it.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/knqUX1HFKxI/00-04-43.jpg) ![Screenshot at 08:45: Andrew Yang concludes the segment by asking listeners to like, subscribe, and send questions to mailbag@andrewyang.com.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/knqUX1HFKxI/00-08-45.jpg)