State Legislator Faces Silicon Valley Backlash Over AI Safety Regulation Efforts
New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores sponsored the RAISE Act, New York's first AI safety law, and became a target of a Silicon Valley lobbying group spending $125 million on attack ads. The episode discusses the broader regulatory battle occurring as communities block data center construction and debates polarize between "doomers versus boomers." Bores is attempting to navigate a middle path on AI regulation while running for U.S. Congress.
Skynet Chance (-0.03%): State-level AI safety legislation represents incremental progress toward governance frameworks that could mitigate existential risks, though the massive lobbying opposition suggests industry resistance may limit effectiveness. The regulatory efforts show growing political recognition of AI risks but face significant pushback.
Skynet Date (+0 days): The intense lobbying campaign and regulatory friction may slow some AI deployment and create compliance costs, slightly extending timelines for unconstrained AI systems. However, the limited scope of state-level regulation means the delaying effect is modest compared to federal or international coordination.
AGI Progress (0%): State safety legislation focuses on deployment guardrails and accountability rather than restricting fundamental AI research capabilities. The RAISE Act doesn't directly impact technical progress toward AGI.
AGI Date (+0 days): Community opposition to data center construction mentioned in the article could create infrastructure bottlenecks that modestly slow compute scaling necessary for AGI development. However, this represents localized friction rather than systemic constraint on the industry's overall trajectory.