The New York Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Requirements in News Act has been passed by the state legislature and is heading to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk for signature.
The legislation, which was created by State Sen. Patricia Fahy and assembly member Nily Rozic and received bipartisan passage in both chambers, mandates that news organizations operating in the state provide clear disclaimers on content substantially or wholly generated by artificial intelligence. Additionally, it establishes safeguards to protect journalist sources and confidential materials from being accessed by AI systems.
“The passage of the NY FAIR News Act is a major victory for journalism and for the communities that depend on trusted news. As artificial intelligence continues to reshape how news is produced and distributed, we have a responsibility to ensure transparency, protect workers, and preserve the value of original reporting,” Rozic said in a Tuesday statement. “I am proud to have partnered with Senator Fahy to advance this effort and strengthen protections for both journalists and consumers.”
“AI is reshaping our economy at a pace faster than the Industrial Revolution. To protect the public’s trust in reporting and the news they read every day and the journalists who do the work, I’m proud that we were able to pass my NY FAIR News Act with Assemblymember Rozic to break the national mold on this issue,” Fahy added. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the State Senate to continue enacting common sense guidelines that protect New Yorkers from the unintended consequences of AI.”
The NY FAIR News Act was also supported by the NYS AFL-CIO, Writers Guild of America East, SAG-AFTRA, the NewsGuild of New York, The NewsGuild-CWA, CWA District 1, Directors Guild of America, Freelancers Union, Writers Guild of America West and workers at local and national newsrooms operating across New York.
NewsGuild of New York president Susan DeCarava said that the NY FAIR News Act is a “first legislative step towards holding media companies accountable for how they use artificial intelligence,” while Directors Guild of America Associate National Executive Director Neil Dudich said its passage “ensures that the transparency, human artistry, pacing, and judgment that goes into directing news remains front and center.”
Freelancers Union Interim Executive Director Elle Toussi further called it a “win for every freelance journalist, writer and media worker who does the hard work of keeping communities informed.”
Meanwhile, Writers Guild of America East president Tom Fontana said the bill “ensures the integrity of the news and its workforce are safeguarded against artificial intelligence” and called on Hochul to “quickly sign this bill into law to mitigate one of the risks posed by AI and place value on the vital work done every day by newsroom workers.”
SAG-AFTRA Chief Labor Policy Officer and New York Local Executive Director Rebecca Damon also encouraged Hochul to sign the legislation and said it “builds on the wins of our Synthetic advertising law, and creates a meaningful, enforceable protection for both journalists and consumers of news media.”
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