Paul Kir at The Daily Freeman reports from Kingston that New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey has teamed with Labor Leaders to call on Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the AI Labor Information Act, described as first-in-the-Nation legislation that will require private employers to report how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is affecting the State’s workforce and business practices. Hinchey (Democrat-Saugerties/41st Senate District) sponsored the legislation along with Assembly Member Harry Bronson, a Democrat from Rochester. The Bill passed both the Assembly and the State Senate this session. Labor Leaders from the AFL-CIO, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and Teamsters joined Hinchey and Bronson in Rochester to urge Hochul to sign the Bill. “The Coalition says New York should not wait for technological disruption to leave Workers behind,” Hinchey’s office said in a news release. “By requiring transparency now, the State can better prepare Workers for changes already underway and ensure the benefits of AI do not come at the expense of economic security. To enact meaningful protections, it is essential that New York has a sound examination of the capabilities and roles of the AI landscape and understands the intersection between productive advancements and job replacement.” The legislation, Hinchey’s office said, will create a recurring dataset that shows how AI is impacting employment across industries and regions. To collect this info, the AI Labor Information Act will require publicly-traded corporations and businesses with more than 50 Employees doing business in the State to report annually to the State Department of Labor on their use of AI and its impact on Workers.

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