New York Launches AI Developer Registry Under RAISE Act

New York moves forward with AI oversight as federal efforts stall

New York will require major artificial intelligence developers to begin registering with the state in November, marking a significant step in implementing the RAISE Act as the state positions itself as a leader in AI regulation amid federal uncertainty.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that frontier AI developers must register through a state portal by January 1, when the Responsible AI Safety and Education Act takes effect. The governor also named Marc Gilman as deputy director for the RAISE Act, the first hire for the new Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity and Trust (DIGIT), according to details first reported by POLITICO.

Gilman previously served as general counsel and vice president of compliance at Theta Lake, an AI security and compliance company, and teaches law at Fordham University. This marks his first government role.

What the RAISE Act requires

The legislation mandates that large frontier AI developers operating in New York create publicly available safety frameworks detailing their risk mitigation strategies. Companies must report critical safety incidents that could lead to catastrophic outcomes—defined as death or serious injury to 50 or more people or at least $1 billion in damages—within 72 hours. They must also submit quarterly catastrophic risk assessments.

The state attorney general's office will handle enforcement. Developers will pay assessments to fund DIGIT's supervisory work, similar to how the Department of Financial Services charges banks operating in New York.

The office will operate within the Department of Financial Services with a $10.4 million budget allocation covering IT infrastructure and initial staffing. Acting Superintendent Kaitlin Asrow said additional full-time staff will be announced soon.

State action amid federal vacuum

The announcement comes as President Donald Trump has called AI safety concerns a "hoax" and moved to shut down federal restriction efforts, though he suggested over the weekend that some federal monitoring role might exist. Hochul has pledged to find "additional actions that we can take at the state level to lead the way in the absence of leadership from Washington."

State lawmakers who sponsored the RAISE Act are already pushing for DIGIT to go further. Democratic state Sen. Andrew Gounardes said he expects the office to propose additional regulations and laws to improve AI safety. Assemblymember Alex Bores wants universal monitoring of deployed AI, third-party auditors with employee-level access, prohibition on releasing models that fail safety tests, and expanded whistleblower protections.

Why it matters

New York's implementation of the RAISE Act creates the first operational framework in the United States for state-level oversight of frontier AI development. With federal AI regulation stalled, the state's registry and reporting requirements establish a concrete accountability mechanism that could serve as a template for other jurisdictions. The move also signals that major AI companies operating in New York will face binding safety disclosure obligations regardless of federal policy direction.

Asrow said the administration has been coordinating with California, Illinois, and Massachusetts on AI regulations, noting the "power of the state system in this moment, where we really need safety frameworks."

Details of the implementation timeline and first DIGIT hire were first reported by POLITICO.