Chatbot bill, AI hearing, debate, and potential improvements at the SCA

Oct. 7, 2026

1.There’s an important bill just waiting on Gov. Hochul’s desk to be signed, S.9051/A.10379, that would restrict dangerous AI chatbots for the first time. Chatbots have been shown to undermine student learning, mental health and social development, yet they are still being used in many NYC schools –including Google Search, which acts as a chatbot and, according to Common Sense Media, threatens student learning and mental health. Moreover, because most chatbots data-mine users’ personal information, they likely violate NY student privacy law, Ed Law 2D as well. More about this bill, and why it’s so important that it be signed is here.

Please call Governor Hochul at (518) 474-8390. today and urge her to sign S.9051/A.10379 as soon as possible! if you can’t get through by phone, you can also send her a message here. Tell her that as a parent, you do not want your children’s education, privacy and mental health to be undermined by the rampant and unregulated use of chatbots.

2. Yesterday, there were ten hours of City Council hearings on AI, with whistleblowers warning of disastrous consequences for humanity if AI is not better controlled, followed by testimony from industry reps and the public. Here is the video. Though Council Members by and large asked excellent questions, the AI company reps dodged most of them– including in response to CM Dinowitz who asked about the risks to students. One after another, reps from Open AI, Google, Anthropic and Meta claimed that there were no real risks to kids, as those under 13 are not officially allowed to use AI programs, and that strong guardrails exist for those over 13 – which we know is a fictional rendition of reality.

One particularly frustrating exchange occurred when CM Pierina Sanchez recounted some of the tragic teen suicides resulting from their use of chatbots. She followed by asking what the default privacy settings were. Both Open AI and Meta falsely claimed there was privacy by default, which then they immediately contradicted by saying users must opt out of data sharing.

Perhaps  most disappointing was the tepid testimony from the Mamdani administration.  According to Local Law 188 of 2025, the Mayor was supposed to have created an Office of Algorithmic Accountability by last June, charged with analyzing AI tools employed by city agencies and evaluating their risks before they could be used– yet this office still does not exist. Meanwhile, the NYC AI czar, Jiahao Chen, resigned last week.

The latest annual report from the Office of Technology and Innovation, which is legally mandated by Local Law 35 of 2021, omits most of the algorithmic tools currently utilized by city agencies, especially in schools. Yet Sarah Milstein, the OTI Deputy Commissioner, testified that they were indeed in compliance with these laws. None of the city’s witnesses appeared to support the Council legislation to rein in AI, leading Politico to surmise that the Mayor wants to cede leadership on this critical issue to the federal government, which so far has been paralyzed into inaction.

What’s especially perplexing is that Mamdani hired two people months ago with real expertise concerning the risks of AI: Lisa Gelobtner, the OTI Commissioner and Rashida Richardson, Senior Advisor for Technology & Innovation, though neither one spoke at this hearing.

3. I just posted a new episode of Talk out of School, featuring excerpts from a panel discussion at the recent Network for Public Education conference on what the role of AI should be in our schools. The panel included Mary Burns, lead author of the excellent Brookings Institute report on AI, Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, and Josh Golin, Executive Director of Fairplay. Check it out and let me know what you think!

4. An important area in which Mamdani seems to be moving forward on education policy is how he has overhauled the dysfunctional and possibly corrupt leadership at the School Construction Authority, by appointing a new SCA board and a new President – Celeste Ramirez, who in turn has fired and replaced many top SCA executives. More on this and my account of a recent SCA Board meeting can be found in my newish Substack column. If you haven’t yet subscribed please do!

But please call Governor Hochul now – and tell her to sign P S.9051/A.10379 as soon as possible! A short message you can use is here.

Thanks Leonie