Manhattan D.A.’s Office Seizes Domains Of 12 Illegal Websites Selling AI-Generated “Deep Fakes”

Marks Largest Known Seizure of AI-Generated Celebrity Deepfake Websites To Date 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the Office’s seizure of 12 domain names of illegal websites used for unlawfully disseminating, publishing, and selling non-consensual celebrity “deepfake” videos. Individuals under investigation allegedly used artificial-intelligence (“AI”) image and video creation tools to turn pre-existing photos and videos of approximately 1,200 real people into what appear to be hyper-realistic images and videos of those individuals engaging in sexual conduct. They then used these websites to disseminate, publish, and sell these videos and other similar non-consensual intimate imagery (“NCII”). The D.A.’s Office is urging survivors to come forward by calling the Office’s Cyber Crime Bureau at 212-335-9600.

“1,200 individuals had their faces and bodies stolen and turned into illegal pornography on 12 different websites – without their knowledge or consent – and today, my Office is announcing that we have seized these websites pursuant to a court order. These horrific violations of privacy follow victims into their careers and personal lives and take an immense toll on emotional and mental wellbeing,” said D.A. Bragg. “Let me be clear – my office does not tolerate sexual exploitation in any form and will not stand by when businesses profit from the publication and dissemination of non-consensual sexual images and videos, AI-generated or not. Our investigations into these websites and similar operations are ongoing. If you have been a victim, I want you to know that we are here to help. Please contact our Cyber Crime Bureau at 212-335-9600.”

Pictured: A Screenshot of One of the “Deepfake” Websites.

These websites are almost exclusively dedicated to AI-generated NCII, which they explicitly advertise as deepfake pornography. The approximately 1,200 victims of these websites and the content creators who use these websites to sell their NCII videos are overwhelmingly women and primarily public-facing individuals, including actors, politicians, athletes, musicians, social justice advocates, and social media influencers.

The investigation into these websites and others remains ongoing. The D.A.’s Office will continue to monitor these websites to prevent them from operating under different domains.

Pictured: The Image That Appears on Seized Domains.

The D.A.’s Office’s Cyber Crime Bureau has seized the domains of multiple websites under criminal investigation, including:

•   Twelve domains from five online vendors which sold stolen credit and debit card information and cardholders’ personal identifying information, including more than one million cards stolen from people across the United States and tens of thousands of New Yorkers.
•   The domain for Coin Dispute Network, which was later indicted – along with its creators, Michael Lauchlan and Gary Zaydman – for allegedly steal from customers by falsely claiming it could trace and recover cryptocurrency in exchange for a fee.

BRONX WOMAN SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SEX TRAFFICKING A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN EXCHANGE FOR MONEY AND DRUGS

 

Defendant Forced Victim to Smoke Crack Cocaine 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx woman was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of Sex Trafficking of a Child, where the teenage victim was forced to have sex with multiple men over a period of weeks. 

District Attorney Clark said, “This defendant preyed on a vulnerable 13-year-old girl who was seeking food and shelter. She brought the victim into her apartment where the girl quickly learned that working for the defendant entailed having sex with grown men. The young victim bravely testified during the trial and with this sentence, the defendant will now spend over a decade in prison for her heinous actions.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Shirley Davis, AKA “Peaches,” 46, of the Bronx, was sentenced on September 11, 2026 to 12 years in prison and five years post release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Laurence Busching. On April 1, 2026, Davis was convicted by a jury of Sex Trafficking of a Child. She must register as a sex offender, and an Order of Protection has been issued barring the defendant from having any contact with the victim.

According to the investigation, Davis met the victim in the Soundview Houses NYCHA complex. Between September 1, 2022, and October 31, 2022, the defendant forced the 13-yearold victim to engage in sex acts with multiple men nearly every day in exchange for cash and/or crack cocaine. Davis also coerced the child into smoking crack cocaine.

District Attorney Clark also thanked Detective Denis Regimbal of the NYPD/FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force for his work in the case. 

Attorney General James Leads Major Challenge to Trump Administration’s Attack on Immigrant Families

 

New Rule Gives Immigration Officers Sweeping Power to Deny Green Cards Over Any Use of Public Benefits Including School Meals, Health Insurance, or SNAP 

States’ Lawsuit Filed Alongside Separate Lawsuit Led by New York City Challenging Rule’s Harm to Local Governments

New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 21 other states and the District of Columbia in suing to halt a catastrophic new Trump administration policy that would allow immigration officials to punish immigrants for lawful use of public benefits. Filed alongside a separate lawsuit brought by a coalition of cities led by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Attorney General James’ lawsuit challenges a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “public charge” rule that would give individual immigration officers sweeping discretion to deny green cards based on nearly any use of public benefits. Attorney General James and the coalition are asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) to block this unlawful measure so that New Yorkers do not have to fear that seeking help today could jeopardize their – or their family members’ – immigration status in the future.

“Hardworking families should not be forced to go without the support they need because they fear asking for assistance will get them deported,” said Attorney General James. "This rule preys on that fear and counts on families forfeiting the food assistance, health care coverage, and other public benefits to which they are legally entitled. My office fought this exact policy once before and won, and we are leading the nation to ensure the Trump administration cannot inflict this harm on families again.”

“The new public charge rule seeks to push immigrant families away from the programs that have kept people fed and healthy for decades. New Yorkers will be afraid to see a doctor or ask for help they are legally entitled to. That fear will not stop at the families that the federal government is targeting. Families who remain fully eligible for benefits will feel a chilling effect, and all New Yorkers will pay for it,” said Mayor Mamdani. “New York City is proud to lead a coalition of cities and counties — Chicago, San Francisco, Santa Clara County, Seattle, and King County — standing firmly against this cruel and unlawful rule. Our immigrant communities are not a burden. They are the people who make New York City and country great. We will use every tool at our disposal to ensure they can continue to live here with dignity and without fear.”

For over 140 years, the United States has defined a "public charge" as someone likely to become primarily dependent on the government for long-term subsistence. In 2022, the federal government issued a rule limiting public charge determinations to cash assistance for income maintenance or long-term institutionalization at government expense. The Trump administration’s new rule, taking effect September 18, would let immigration officers count nearly any public benefit, used for any length of time, against an applicant. The rule also includes benefits legally used by family members, even if the family member is a U.S. citizen.

Under the rule, a noncitizen parent's green card application could be at risk because their U.S. citizen child used state-provided health insurance. Officers could count a child's participation in a school's free lunch program against their noncitizen parent’s application for citizenship. There is no clear limit on which benefits, or how much use, count against an applicant, leaving families to guess which forms of routine, lawful assistance might put their immigration status at risk.

Attorney General James and the coalition assert that the administration has acknowledged, and even celebrated, that the fear and confusion the new rule would create could cause immigrant families, including U.S. citizen children, to disenroll from benefits to which they are legally entitled. The federal government also acknowledged that a previous iteration of a similar rule caused benefit disenrollment rates as high as 35 percent among mixed-status families, and as high as 60 percent among refugees. The DHS itself predicts that this "chilling effect" will cost states $4.05 billion annually in Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding and $1 billion annually in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding nationwide. 

The coalition emphasizes that the disruption will not stop with the families who disenroll from public benefits. When people lose access to health coverage, they delay care and turn to emergency rooms instead, straining safety-net hospitals and community health centers, and raising costs for everyone. Schools risk losing automatic certification for free and reduced-price meal programs when SNAP and Medicaid enrollment drops below required thresholds, cutting off meals for eligible students regardless of income or immigration status. Federal Title I education funding, calculated using Medicaid and SNAP enrollment, is also likely to fall, and would be a devastating loss for schools. Reduced participation in SNAP can also harm local economies, draining money from the grocery stores and local businesses that depend on SNAP recipients’ business.

In the lawsuit, the attorneys general note that the states and local governments that administer these programs will bear direct costs, from new communications to staff training to information technology changes needed to manage the disruption. This is on top of the added strain of residents cycling on and off programs out of fear.

Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the new rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act because it is arbitrary and capricious, exceeds DHS’s statutory authority, and departs from the longstanding meaning of the public charge provision established by Congress. When the Trump administration introduced a similar rule in 2020, Attorney General James successfully led a coalition in suing to block the measure, a ruling that was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

The coalition is asking a federal judge to declare the 2026 public charge rule unlawful and vacate it, protecting states and their residents from its unlawful harms.

Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, and the governor of Pennsylvania.

Six Charged in California, Kansas, and Louisiana for Illegally Voting, Fraudulent Voter Registration, and Identity Fraud

 

Last week, an individual in California was arrested and two others were charged for paying people on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles to sign petitions using stolen identities of registered voters to qualify initiatives on ballots in California elections. Two aliens living in Kansas, and Louisiana were charged for illegally voting. And an individual in Louisiana was charged with fraudulently registering to vote an ineligible voter.

“If you are gaming the election system, voting illegally, or committing voter fraud, you are breaking the law, and the Department will ensure such individuals cannot corrupt future elections,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The integrity of our elections is fundamental to our democracy, and those who seek to undermine it will be charged accordingly.”

“Protecting election integrity for the American people is one of the top priorities for this FBI,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Every American citizen has a right to free and fair elections — and we will not hesitate to use all available resources to investigate every credible allegation of election fraud and illegal voting.”

“Two aliens in Kansas and Louisiana are charged with illegally voting,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. “Voter fraud is already a serious problem, but non-citizens voting is even worse. Every time a non-citizen casts a ballot, it steals a vote from an American citizen. Thanks to our partners at the Department of Justice, these aliens and other suspects accused of voter fraud will face justice and can no longer poison our election processes. Only Americans should be allowed to decide America’s future and elect America’s leaders.”

“These defendants are charged with using stolen identities of registered voters to manufacture signatures on ballot petitions used to shape California law,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “They allegedly used people, including members of Skid Row’s vulnerable homeless population, to try to cover up their tracks. The charged conduct undermines the confidence voters have in our election systems, and we will vigorously investigate and charge anyone involved.” 

“The Department of Justice remains committed to protecting election integrity and is actively investigating and prosecuting these cases,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas. “With another election looming, the Department’s effort serves as a stark reminder to individuals who are not legally authorized to vote not to engage in this conduct. Should individuals be determined by a court of law to have illegally claimed U.S. citizenship and voted or attempted to vote in federal elections, they will face serious criminal consequences.” 

“Protecting the integrity of Louisiana’s elections — and our national elections — is essential to protecting our constitutional republic,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana. “The right to vote is sacred. When individuals undermine that process through fraud or abuse, they threaten the public’s confidence in a fair and lawful election system. Our Office will continue to safeguard the sanctity of the vote and hold accountable those who violate our laws.”

Central District of California

James Brass, 47, also known as “Lord,” of Victorville, California, was arrested last week on a federal grand jury indictment charging him and two other defendants with paying people on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles to sign petitions using stolen identities of registered voters to qualify initiatives on ballots in California elections. 

Also charged in the two-count indictment were two petition circulators who worked for Brass: Courtney Price, 49, of Jacksonville, Florida, and Jateisha Herron, 33, of Boron, California. 

All three defendants were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit identity fraud in furtherance of a state felony. Brass and Price were charged with an additional count of identity fraud in furtherance of a state felony.

According to court documents, California’s constitution contains a process for direct democracy in which state voters can bypass the California State Legislature and enact laws or constitutional amendments directly through the ballot initiative process.

To qualify an initiative for inclusion on a ballot in 2026, an initiative’s proponent was required to submit 546,651 signatures to place a proposed statute on the ballot, and 874,641 signatures to place a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. An initiative’s proponent had up to 180 days to gather these signatures and needed to submit them no later than 130 days before the date of an election.

Given the large number of signatures required in such a short period of time, proponents of initiatives typically hired petition management companies to gather the signatures. These companies charge significant fees and set a price for each signature gathered, contracting with outside individuals to collect signatures.

According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned yesterday, Brass managed a team of signature collectors and collected signatures himself while Price and Herron were signature collectors who worked for Brass. From February to August, the defendants used a database to identify registered California voters.  On Skid Row, Brass and Price handed out these voters’ stolen identities and paid petition signers to copy the voters’ personal information onto ballot initiative petitions and fraudulently sign the petitions in those voters’ names.

After the petitions were signed, Brass and Herron signed declarations at the bottom of the petitions, falsely declaring under penalty of perjury that they personally witnessed the named registered voters sign the petitions and that each signature was, to the best of their knowledge, “the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be.”

Brass and Herron then turned in the bogus petitions to several petition coordinators, knowing the false representations regarding the signatures’ authenticity would result in false and fraudulent signatures being counted in connection with the effort to place the initiative at issue on the ballot.

Brass further knew the false representations about the signatures’ authenticity would result in payments to him from a petition management company. 

In total, Brass received approximately $41,600 from coordinators working with one such petition management company.

If convicted, Brass, Price, and Herron each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count.

The FBI is investigating this matter with assistance from special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss and Michael G. Wheat for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case.

District of Kansas

A federal grand jury in Wichita, Kansas, returned an indictment charging Mariana Alexandra Dewey, 24, a Peruvian national and permanent resident of the United States, with multiple criminal offenses arising from allegedly voting in a federal election despite not being a U.S. citizen.

According to court documents, Dewey was charged with one count of false claim of citizenship, one count of false claim of United States citizenship in order to vote, one count of fraudulent election conduct, and one count of voting by an alien in a federal election.

In November 2024, Dewey allegedly falsely represented herself to be a U.S. citizen to register to vote in an election that included federal, state, and local offices. She is further accused of casting a ballot that included candidates for U.S. President, Vice President, Senate, and House of Representatives after falsely certifying that she was a U.S. citizen and eligible to vote. 

Dewey’s initial court appearance is scheduled for today. 

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler for the District of Kansas is prosecuting the case.

Western District of Louisiana

Last week, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Bridget Johnson, 53, of Cotton Valley, Louisiana, with Fraudulent Voter Registration and Voting by an Alien, and Michael Wedderburn, 52, of Jamaica, with Voting by an Alien. 

According to court documents, Johnson was a resident of Webster Parish and a candidate in the 2024 election for mayor of Cotton Valley. Wedderburn is a non‑citizen alien in the United States and was ineligible to vote in Louisiana elections.

On July 14, 2024, Johnson allegedly completed and electronically submitted a Louisiana voter registration application in Wedderburn’s name, falsely stating that he was a U.S. citizen. The indictment also alleges that Wedderburn subsequently voted illegally in the Nov. 5, 2024, election for a federal office, and in the Cotton Valley mayoral race.

U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.

The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth D. Reeg and Alexandra Porubsky are prosecuting the case with assistance from Legal Assistant Ginger Green.

If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and Wedderburn faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison as well as additional financial penalties.

An indictment merely contains accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Governor Hochul Announces Energy Rebate Checks Going to 8.2 Million New York Households Starting Next Week

Checks up to $200 Will Be Mailed to Eligible New Yorkers, With No Need to Apply or Sign Up

Check Mailing To Begin September 21 and Continue Through December

Since 2021, New York Has Provided $7.6 Billion to Participating Households in Direct Utility Bill Relief, Including Energy Rebate Checks

Continues Governor’s Ongoing Energy Affordability Agenda To Help New Yorkers Struggling With High Utility Costs and Soaring Gas Prices at the Pump Due to Washington Republicans’ Harmful Policies

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that energy rebate checks up to $200 will be sent to 8.2 million households across New York State starting on September 21. Checks will be mailed directly to eligible New Yorkers, with deliveries to continue through December. There is no need to apply, sign up or do anything to receive a check.

“As Washington Republicans continue to send the cost of everything from utility bills to gas and groceries soaring, I'll never stop working to address the rising cost of living for New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “Too many families are struggling with rising household energy bills and soaring gas prices at the pump — and that's why we're putting money directly back in New Yorkers' pockets by sending energy rebate checks to millions of families as part of our affordability agenda.”

Governor Hochul’s enacted budget included a one-time $1 billion Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate (POWER) to help provide needed relief in the face of federal tariffs that have increased the cost of living across the board and President Trump’s war in Iran that has New Yorkers now paying on average $4.35 per gallon at the pumps, a 45% jump since the war began. Diesel has jumped 49% since the war began at the end of February to $5.98 per gallon.

POWER checks will provide $200 to joint filers with incomes under $150,000 and $150 to joint filers with incomes between $150,000 and $300,000. Single filers with incomes under $150,000 will receive $100. The rebates will be issued as advanced credit checks and will be mailed out between September and December.

Who’s Eligible for a POWER Check?

You are eligible for a rebate credit check if, for tax year 2024, you:

• Filed a timely New York State Resident Income Tax Return;
• Were a full-time resident for New York State;
• Reported income within the qualifying thresholds; and
• Were not claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return.  

DHS Issues Statement Condemning Judge Who Allowed Illegal Alien to Escape ICE in Her Courtroom

 

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court also issued the judge a formal reprimand

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement condemning a Massachusetts judge who had allowed an illegal alien to use a back exit in her courtroom to escape U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On April 2, 2018, illegal alien Oscar Manuel Peguero, alias Jose Medina-Perez, went to court after being arrested for possession of a Class B controlled substance and possession of a Class E controlled substance in Newton, Massachusetts. He also had an outstanding warrant at the time in Pennsylvania for being a fugitive from justice. The presiding judge was Massachusetts State District Court Judge Shelley Joseph. ICE lodged a detainer for Peguero on March 30, the same day he was arrested, but the detainer was not honored.

 While an ICE officer was waiting outside the courtroom to arrest Peguero, Judge Joseph let Peguero leave the courtroom through a back exit that allowed him to evade ICE custody.

Oscar Manuel Peguero, AKA Jose Medina-Perez

 In 2019, Joseph was charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, aiding and abetting obstruction of justice, and aiding and abetting obstruction of a federal proceeding. In 2022, the Biden Administration dropped the charges against Joseph.

On September 10, 2026, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) issued Joseph a formal reprimand. The SJC found that she “created an appearance of impropriety in violation of her duties” when she ordered the court clerk to shut off the court’s audio recording systems during the proceedings.

“This judicial misconduct reflects what DHS is facing across the country,” said DHS General Counsel James Percival. “Certain judges think it is their duty to undermine, rather than enforce, federal immigration law. Helping illegal aliens escape from immigration officers is a felony. Sanctuary politicians and sanctuary judges alike are on notice.”

Peguero first illegally entered the United States through Boston Logan International Airport in January 2003, falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen. He was arrested and deported on January 31, 2003. He then illegally re-entered the United States – a felony – through New Mexico in April 2007. He was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol and deported a second time on June 22, 2007. He then illegally entered the United States for a THIRD time at an unknown date and location.

Two Men Plead Guilty for Roles in Drug Trafficking Operation

Case Brought by New Hampshire’s Homeland Security Task Force

Two individuals pleaded guilty in federal court for their participation in a drug trafficking organization that was run like a business to bring cocaine and fentanyl into New Hampshire, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Jose Cordero Ortiz, 40, of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Drug. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

Jhonattan A. Jimemenz, 39, of Boston, Massachusetts pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Drug. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.  

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

According to documents and statements made in court, the leader of the organization, Juan Ramon Soto Baez, 55, was sentenced on July 1, 2025 to 100 months in prison with 3 years of supervised release for his role in the drug trafficking operation. The organization was run like a business, operating “dispatch” telephone lines where customers could call in to order narcotics. Soto Baez, or a trusted member of the conspiracy working for him, would take customer orders on the phone, and then Soto Baez would either deliver the order himself or send a runner to conduct the drug sale at an arranged meeting location. In addition to Soto Baez, Ortiz, and Jimenez, more than 10 others have been convicted as part of this operation. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.

ARTIFICIALLY INEVITABLE: NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE RELEASES NEW REPORT ON THE ROLE OF AI AND NECESSARY GUARDRAILS IN NYC

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released a new review on the role of artificial intelligence in government and what good governance of the technology can look like. The report, entitled ‘Artificially Inevitable,’ analyzes the current AI landscape and proposes guidelines for good governance of a technology and industry that changes daily.  This report comes just days after an Anthropic researcher resigned while giving dire warnings about the future potential of AI, prompting a renewed push for guardrails. 

To drive the public discussion of AI usage and regulation across generations, the Public Advocate convened a group of students and seniors at a senior center to share their experiences, concerns, and insights about artificial intelligence. Each age group has seen enormous technological advances in their lifetime, and bringing them together in conversation brings a multifaceted perspective to the rapid onset of AI in our lives. This dialogue will help inform the work ahead for the government to implement guardrails that address the concerns of diverse populations.

A. Philip Randolph, the namesake for the senior center, was a labor leader and civil rights activist who argued that technology was the “collective creation of the people," and therefore “the people should share in the fruits of technology.”

“Our government has a responsibility to help New Yorkers better understand this technology that is rapidly changing the world we live in, and to ensure that when this technology is used, it is to the benefit of New Yorkers,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams at the event. “A responsible approach means resisting doomerism or denialism – because any sense of inevitability ignores the active role that we all – especially in government – have in regulating the use and abuse of technology. By bringing people together across experience and generation, we can better understand how to maximize the benefits and mitigate the harms.”

In a new report, ‘Artificially Inevitable,’ the Public Advocate presents the public with the foundational facts about and framework of modern artificial intelligence, and proposes principles for government use as well as guardrails to enact on the technology.

When governing in the age of AI, government should be  guided by these tenets:

• Safe and Effective Systems: Policy interventions should balance potential benefits and risks. 
• Social Responsibility: Accountability and inclusivity are essential to effective and responsible AI governance.
• Trust and Transparency: Early identification and ongoing management of AI risks is critical to mitigating risks.

In line with that foundation, the report proposes that the Public Advocate urges the city to pass his legislation requiring entities to obtain consent for the collection and disclosure of personal and sensitive information pertaining to New York City residents, and inform them if their information is training artificial intelligence models.

 

Additionally, the city should initiate workforce protections and worker trainings relative to AI, maintain AI-specific procurement standards, and hold public AI literacy trainings, much like the one hosted by the Public Advocate in Harlem today. 

City government has begun to engage with the rise of AI usage among students, implementing restrictions on AI usage and screen time for the coming school year, with a prohibition on usage for elementary and middle schools.The Public Advocate, who had advocated for a yearlong pause altogether on AI usage in schools, has  called this a first step, not the final word, on governing AI in schools, and in this report, pushes for government guardrails beyond the classroom. 

The report calls for the state to enact transparency and consent policies for AI technology using personal data, increase corporate liability for false information, and deliver an AI bill of rights to ensure that any system making decisions without human intervention impacting their lives do so lawfully, properly, and with meaningful oversight

As A. Phillip Randolph argued, “You cannot destroy the machine. You cannot stifle the invention of various geniuses in the world.” But that does not mean accepting inevitabilities or abdicating responsibility. Rather, as he believed and this report echoes, “The community and the government have a responsibility” to act now. 

Read the report now.