New York Governor Unveils New AI Agenda

Quick Hits

• New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a new AI agenda, including the establishment of an Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity and Trust (DIGIT) to oversee digital safety and technology governance.
• The governor also announced plans to advance legislation aimed at regulating AI-generated content and enhancing consumer privacy, including proposals to mandate labeling of provenance data and require data broker registration.
• This initiative builds on a series of recent AI and technology policies in New York, positioning the state as a leader in AI governance.

In her January 13, 2026, State of the State address, Governor Hochul announced a series of proposals related to AI and technology regulation that she said are intended to protect workers and consumers.

New York AI Agenda

Central to New York’s AI agenda, Governor Hochul is proposing to establish a new Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity and Trust (DIGIT), which would serve as the “central, authoritative body for digital safety and technological governance.” The office would coordinate online safety and technology governance across the state, in line with recent laws addressing online safety, social media, algorithmic pricing, AI synthetic performers, and AI chatbots. The announcement did not provide details on the structure or authority of the new office, but it appears the office would act as a watchdog agency within the New York Department of Financial Services.

The governor also plans to advance legislation to curb deceptive AI-generated content such as “deepfakes” by requiring that content include labelling with information on where it came from and who created it, called “provenance data.” Additionally, to combat AI-fabricated content and disinformation related to elections, the governor will propose legislation to ban non-consensual deepfakes (including depicting a political opponent) in the period leading up to elections, and ban the “sharing of false information about elections,” specifically “including where and when they are held, qualifications or restrictions on voter eligibility, and an individual’s voter registration status or eligibility.”

Governor Hochul also plans to propose new measures to protect consumer information and privacy. The governor promised to advance new legislation requiring data brokers operating in New York to register with the state, and allowing individuals to submit “a single, centralized request” for data brokers to delete certain personal information collected by the brokers.

Wave of New York AI Laws

The new AI agenda builds on New York’s recent wave of AI legislation and policy—including protections for youth online, rules for AI companions, measures addressing AI-enabled child sexual abuse, and transparency in AI-enabled pricing, which have made New York one of the most active states in AI governance.

For instance, the Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act was signed into law in December 2025. The law imposes safety and transparency requirements on developers of highly capable “frontier” AI models and creates a dedicated state oversight office. With the RAISE Act, New York joined California as a leader in regulating AI development.

The state also recently enacted several laws designed to increase transparency and protect consumers. In response to the rise of AI-generated content, New York will require advertisers to disclose the use of a “synthetic performer” in advertisements. In addition, New York’s Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act, which took effect on November 10, 2025, requires companies that use algorithmic pricing to notify consumers when prices are set using their personal data.

Moreover, while not a statewide bill, New York City’s Local Law 144, which took effect on January 1, 2023, and its subsequently adopted regulations restrict the use of automated employment decision tools (AEDT). The New York City law requires that AEDTs used to screen candidates for employment or promotion be subjected to bias audits if the output of the AEDT is used to replace or substantially assist discretionary decision-making and requires employers and employment agencies to notify employees and job candidates that such tools are being used to evaluate them.

Next Steps

Governor Hochul’s AI agenda for New York could create additional compliance obligations for employers, advertisers, and technology companies. However, many of the proposals will likely put the state at odds with the federal government, which has sought to reduce AI regulation to promote industry growth in the United States. Most significantly, President Donald Trump issued an executive order in December 2025 that asserts federal preemption and seeks to challenge certain state laws regulating AI and deter states from considering new laws or regulations that restrict AI.

Ogletree Deakins’ New York offices and Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Group will continue to monitor developments and will provide updates on the Cybersecurity and Privacy, New York, and Technology blogs as additional information becomes available.

Follow and Subscribe
LinkedIn | Instagram | Webinars | Podcasts