New York’s RAISE Act Sparks Clash With Tech Heavyweights

A New York AI safety bill is drawing national attention — and big-money opposition — as the debate over state-level AI regulation heats up.

A bipartisan super PAC backed by tech leaders including OpenAI President Greg Brockman, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, Andreessen Horowitz, and Perplexity is targeting congressional candidate Alex Bores over his support for the Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act.

The group argues state rules would slow innovation and weaken the U.S. against China.

The bill, passed by New York’s legislature earlier this year, would apply to developers that spend $100 million or more in compute to train advanced models. Companies like Google, Meta, and OpenAI would be required to publish safety protocols, prevent models from enabling “critical harm,” and disclose major safety incidents within 72 hours. Penalties could reach $30 million.

Bores, a former Palantir engineer, says the law is aimed at preventing risks such as automated cyberattacks or biological threats. He claims opponents “don’t want any regulation whatsoever” and warns that the federal government is moving too slowly to keep pace with AI development.

The pushback comes as the Trump administration argues for a single federal AI standard and explores ways to override state laws. Several states — including California, Colorado, and Illinois — already have their own AI regulations set to take effect next year.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has until early 2026 to decide whether to sign the RAISE Act into law. The fight over the bill is emerging as a national test case for who shapes America’s AI rules — states or Washington.