Bill would study effects of AI on public-sector workers

Following a City Council hearing on artificial intelligence on Oct. 5, New York City lawmakers are weighing how to regulate a technology that could reshape the workforce and deepen existing inequalities. One regulation, a City Council bill sponsored by City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, chair of the Committee on Technology, would require city agencies to report on the impacts of AI algorithmic tools on city employees and how AI impacts specific positions.

In a follow-up interview with The Chief, Council Member De Las Rosa discussed her legislation, what the hearing revealed about tech companies’ preparedness to protect workers and the city’s responsibility to hold them accountable.

The interview has been edited for clarity.

The Chief: After the City Council’s hearing on artificial intelligence, what most changed or sharpened your view of what the city needs to do to regulate AI? Were there particular concerns raised by whistleblowers, workers or technology companies that stood out?

Council Member Carmen De La Rosa: Before the hearing, we knew how dire the situation was. What honestly surprised me — although, at this point, it probably shouldn’t, given how long I’ve been in government — was how few answers the company representatives had, particularly when it came to protections for workers within their own companies.

I specifically asked how many whistleblowers had been fired after incidents came to light, and they didn’t have that information. They also provided little information about the potential impact of their technology on job losses as it continues to evolve. It wasn’t clear whether they were analyzing these issues and unwilling to share their findings, or whether they weren’t conducting that analysis at all. Those are two areas where I think the Council needs to continue digging.

The Chief: SpaceX representatives did not appear at the hearing despite being subpoenaed. What happens next?

De La Rosa: They refused to appear even after being subpoenaed by the [City Council] Speaker’s office. That remains an open issue because it’s now going to court. A court will decide whether they should be compelled to appear before the Council, so we may have a second hearing with SpaceX if the court determines that their appearance is necessary.

Editor's Note: Days after this interview, Council Speaker Menin's office announced SpaceX agreed to testify before the Council's committee on Technology Friday Oct. 16.

The Chief: Your bill, Introduction 161, would require the city to report on how algorithms and other automated tools affect workers. What should the city be looking for, and what should happen if the reporting shows that AI is harming workers?

De La Rosa: First, we should take steps to bring workers up to speed on how AI is affecting them. It’s still unclear whether workers will even be able to understand the impact this technology is having on their jobs.

Second, if jobs are lost, it will be interesting to see how union contracts begin to reflect those shifts in hiring and the potential increase in job losses resulting from AI. Most, if not all, of the municipal workforce is unionized, so those are two areas where the Council needs to exercise greater oversight.

The city has already been dealing with vacancies in the municipal workforce and positions that are difficult to fill. It will be important to understand how AI affects those areas, as well as other parts of the workforce.

The Chief: New York is a major financial and technology hub, but it also has significant income inequality. How can the city ensure that the economic gains from AI aren’t separated from working-class New Yorkers, and that the technology doesn’t deepen existing inequalities?

De La Rosa: I actually raised that question at the hearing, asking how companies were preparing to respond to the disparate impacts we know AI could have on communities, particularly marginalized communities.

The companies talked about how much they were investing in communities and job training. They used the opportunity to highlight the benefits of having their headquarters in New York City, but that wasn’t my question. I wanted to know what we were doing to ensure that job losses wouldn’t disproportionately affect the poorest and most marginalized New Yorkers. The companies didn’t really have an answer.

That’s part of what my bill is intended to address: understanding the impact. When the Council passed legislation last term to examine the wage gap in the city workforce, those studies revealed that occupational segregation was a major factor in people getting stuck in certain positions and having limited opportunities for advancement. I believe my bill can similarly shed light on how AI is affecting the workforce and help us determine what steps are necessary to protect already vulnerable communities.

I also spoke about the need to build technological infrastructure in our city. A decade or two ago, we were talking about the digital literacy divide. We need to have that same conversation about AI and build the infrastructure to ensure that everyday New Yorkers understand how to use it, receive training and remain competitive in an increasingly AI-dependent job market.

When Wi-Fi began to proliferate, we were concerned about seniors and people who didn’t speak English as their first language being left behind. We need to build the infrastructure to train communities in AI, particularly those where unemployment and underemployment are prevalent.

The Chief: New York City Comptroller Mark Levine has warned that the city is “sleepwalking” into the age of AI. How should the City Council work with Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration to address these challenges, and what should be the city’s priorities?

De La Rosa: I look forward to working with the Mamdani administration. As chair of the committee, I’ve begun building a relationship with our new chief technology officer, who I think brings a fresh perspective to the role.

The law also requires the administration to establish an Office of Algorithmic Accountability, which presents another opportunity for collaboration. It’s a relatively new office, so we’re still waiting to see how it develops.

We need to think about AI holistically. The administration has talked about childcare as an issue that affects virtually every aspect of society, from parents trying to return to work to the affordability, education and workforce crises. We need to approach AI through the same lens because it affects health, climate, housing and job creation.

The Chief: Looking five or 10 years ahead, what does the city need to do now to ensure that the benefits of AI are broadly shared and its potential harms are mitigated?

De La Rosa: Again, it comes back to infrastructure. We need to build the infrastructure that gives people a basic understanding of AI, which they can then build on as needed. We’re not there yet.

As regulations develop, the city also has to continue leading and help shape the blueprint for how AI is governed. New York is one of the country’s largest technology hubs, alongside California, and many of these companies are headquartered here or have significant operations in the city. We need to make sure we’re on the front lines of these efforts.