New York Sets Up a State AI Testing Center and Opens RAISE Act Registration, but Has Not Said How It Will Get Access to Models
Gov. Kathy Hochul launched the New York Center for AI Responsibility and Research at SUNY Binghamton on November 10, pledging independent testing of frontier AI systems with more than 80 researchers and Empire AI computing. The state's new DIGIT office also opened the portal large frontier AI developers must use to register under the RAISE Act by January 1, 2027, when safety-framework, incident-reporting and transparency duties begin. The announcement does not explain how the center will obtain access to developers' models.
New York now has both halves of a state AI safety regime on paper: a law that makes large frontier developers register and report, and a state-backed research center that says it will test their systems independently. What the announcement does not say is how the testers will get access to the models they are meant to check.
The center#
Gov. Kathy Hochul launched the New York Center for AI Responsibility and Research (NYCAIRR) at SUNY's Binghamton University on November 10. Her office says it will bring together more than 80 researchers across the state, use computing from Empire AI, the state's $500 million public-private research initiative, and pursue independent testing of frontier AI systems, foundational research and training of AI safety experts. Greg Morrisett of Cornell Tech and Jeannette Wing of Columbia University will serve as interim co-directors.
"The stakes are too high to simply take AI companies at their word," Hochul said. The center was first announced in January with a $30 million philanthropic gift led by Bloomberg LP co-founder Tom Secunda and an initial $25 million research investment from SUNY. At the state's request, it will coordinate with regulators to begin reviewing developers' published safety frameworks and recommend ways to strengthen requirements.
The registration portal#
The state's new Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity, and Trust (DIGIT), housed in the Department of Financial Services, opened its online portal for large frontier AI developers. Under the RAISE Act, they must register by January 1, 2027. From January, large frontier developers must also publish safety frameworks, and all frontier developers must report critical safety incidents and publish model transparency reports; the governor's office says the incident window is 72 hours.
The RAISE Act has been contested since it passed: Times of AI covered the dispute over OpenAI's stance on it at New York City Council's AI hearing. The state has also legislated on AI companions and minors.
Limits#
- The governor's announcement does not say whether developers have agreed to give the center access to models, including unreleased ones.
- No budget for testing work beyond the January funding figures was disclosed.
- The detailed account is the state's November 10 announcement; a November 11 secondary report restates it.