New York City launches its first ever AI strategy

New York City has launched its first AI Strategy as the city continues to lead the way in using digital technology to enhance the lives of residents.

Under the banner of ‘Pioneering the responsible use of artificial intelligence’, the NYC AI Strategy has three main components:

1. Establishing a baseline of information about AI that supports decision-makers by providing an accurate, shared understanding of the technology and its potential.

2. Identifying the key components and characteristics of the city’s existing AI ecosystem today, highlighting how the City government and other agencies are using AI.

3. Outlining five broad areas in which the City should focus further as part of an approach to AI:

• City data infrastructure
• AI applications within the City
• City governance and policy around AI
• Partnerships with external organizations
• Business, education, and the workforce.

In the age of AI, digital rights are human rights.”

Launching the strategy, New York CTO John Paul Farmer said: “Through the NYC AI Strategy, we are setting the Big Apple on the path to make the most of artificial intelligence, to protect people from harm, and to build a better society for all. It is critical that AI be both productive and fair, and that’s why we are sending a clear message: In the age of AI, digital rights are human rights.”

New York City Director of Artificial Intelligence Dr. Neal Parikh: added: “A thoughtful approach to AI requires considering its many facets, from engineering and data infrastructure to social policy and economic development. This exciting but frequently muddled area, prone to both snake oil and fear mongering, also needs to be approached with the understanding that there are often still more questions than answers, and that some of the debates are longstanding and not about AI itself.”