New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Monday night that the federal government has abdicated its responsibility on artificial intelligence and urged New Yorkers to resist the sense that the technology is unstoppable, TechCrunch reported. He spoke at The People’s AI Assembly, an event hosted by the AI Now Institute at Webster Hall in Manhattan, in a conversation led by activist and “Broad City” star Ilana Glazer.
What the mayor said
Mamdani argued that AI’s rapid rollout is not inevitable and that public officials should hold AI companies accountable. He encouraged residents to push back against the feeling that AI is coming for their jobs, their children’s minds and their dignity. “Nothing has to be,” he said, according to TechCrunch. He described a “creep that comes with this” and an “intent to overwhelm” that leaves people feeling they have no option.
He criticized what he called “reckless adoption of technology without any kind of a reckoning with the limitations of that technology,” pointing to the US military’s February strike on a school in Iran that killed more than 150 people, including at least 123 children. TechCrunch notes that officials involved in the Pentagon’s internal investigation told Bloomberg that overreliance on AI in targeting was one factor. We have not independently verified those findings.
On the politics, Mamdani said there is a desire to treat AI “as if it is infallible, as if it cannot be questioned, as if the only people who can regulate it are the ones who are currently developing it,” and compared the arguments to those Facebook made in 2008. He characterized resistance to accountability as an attempt to avoid scrutiny without jeopardizing potential valuations, noting that Anthropic is expected to go public this year and OpenAI has said it will list in 2027. He also criticized what he called the “complete abdication of federal law” on AI.
City-level steps already taken
TechCrunch lists two actions. Last month, Mamdani ordered a ban on AI use in elementary and middle schools. Glazer, a parent, said AI’s arrival in classrooms makes her nervous and feels “non-consensual.” Over the summer, he also introduced a policy that would require landlords, brokers and real estate platforms to clearly disclose when listing photos or videos are made with AI, aimed at protecting residents from being “house-phished” by misleading listings.
Both are modest in scope compared with national frameworks, but they show how cities act when higher levels of government do not. For parents and teachers weighing such rules, see our guide to AI in schools.
The wider regulatory picture
The mayor’s remarks land in a patchwork. The European Union has a comprehensive law, explained in our EU AI Act guide, while the United States relies on a mix of agency actions, state laws and local measures. Our global map of AI regulation compares approaches. A city can set rules for its own schools, procurement and local business conduct, but its power over how AI models are built or sold is limited, which is why speeches like this mostly aim to shift public pressure and set examples.
It is also worth separating rhetoric from policy. The remarks were delivered at an advocacy event hosted by a think tank that studies AI’s social implications, and TechCrunch’s report does not describe any new binding measure announced that night. The claims about federal inaction are the mayor’s characterization.
What to watch next
- Whether the listing-disclosure proposal advances through the city’s legislative process.
- How the elementary and middle school AI ban is enforced and evaluated.
- Whether other US cities adopt comparable measures.
- Federal action, if any, on AI rules ahead of the expected Anthropic listing.
Key takeaways
- Mayor Mamdani said AI adoption is not inevitable and accused the federal government of abdicating on regulation.
- He spoke at an AI Now Institute event with Ilana Glazer on October 19, 2026.
- New York has banned AI use in elementary and middle schools, per the report.
- A proposed policy would require disclosure of AI-made listing photos and videos.
- No new binding rule was reported as announced at the event.
Frequently asked questions
Can a city regulate AI?
Within limits. Cities can set rules for their schools, agencies and local commerce, but they cannot govern how models are built nationally.
What is the AI Now Institute?
It is a think tank that explores the social implications of AI and hosted the event, per TechCrunch.
What does the listing policy do?
It would require landlords, brokers and platforms to disclose when property photos or videos are AI-made.
