New York governor Hochul proposes AI research center

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed building a research center dedicated to artificial intelligence during her third State of the State address on Tuesday, aiming to put New York in a more prominent role in the global race to develop faster and more accurate AI models.

Hochul would direct $275 million in state funds toward the center’s development, which would also be used by several public and private research institutions, including the State University of New York and the City University of New York.

Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute would each contribute an additional $25 million to the project, according to the proposal.

“This isn’t just a win for the future of tech — this is a win for the institutions across the state that will benefit from the growth of this technology,” Hochul said in a statement about the project, titled, “Empire A.I,” describing it in her speech as an important investment that would strengthen the state’s economy for years.

Under the governor’s plan, the statewide consortium would include a physical center in Upstate New York where, she said, the substantial computing power necessary to run modern AI software is available to consortium members. 

The Empire State’s push for a more prominent place in AI development comes at a time when dozens of state governments across the country, including New York, race to establish standards for how governments use AI and general legislation regulating the rapidly advancing technology.

In 2021, the New York Office of Information Technology Services created a statewide AI policy, establishing protocols for state agencies to evaluate and adopt AI systems, including to assist in job matching, delivering state benefits, exploring accessibility tools and identifying and mitigating cybersecurity threats.

Hochul is expected to submit her proposal for the AI research center to the state legislature later this year.