The bustling state of New York is no stranger to the rapid changes influenced by technological advancements. The state’s Governor Kathy Hochul, who recently signed a moratorium on new AI data centers, has not shied away from using the same technology to invigorate the state’s policies and regulations.
In an interview that Governor Hochul gave recently, she mentioned her team’s use of artificial intelligence to scrutinize “every single rule, regulation, [and] policy” that is currently in place in the state. The goal? To unearth and update any laws that might have become outmoded over time.
Old dog, new tricks — or in this case, old regulations and new technology. Among the dated laws that Governor Hochul’s AI identified included some that even bordered on the bizarre. For instance, there’s a regulation which requires any person who wishes to take a dog hunting to pay a fee of $25. There’s even a stipulation that pregnant people need to secure a permit if they wish to work beyond the stroke of midnight. These are just a touch of the kind of obsolete legislation addressed by the system.
While it may seem like the efforts to review and refresh these laws could be carried out by a dedicated team of humans, Governor Hochul argues that the project’s scale would have required a monumental level of man-hours. In fact, she estimates that the entire task, if undertaken manually, “probably would have taken five years at the staff level”. This exactly where the clever use of artificial intelligence exhibits its worth, assisting in accelerating the convoluted process of law review and reform.
Through leveraging AI capabilities, the Governor’s office is able to equip themselves with a far more efficient mechanism for identifying, reviewing, and revising outdated statutes. This deployment of artificial intelligence is a laudable example of how traditional state functions can be successfully paired with emerging tech tools to improve effectiveness and efficiency and inevitably lead to better governance.
The fusion of tech and legislation demonstrated by Governor Hochul’s approach is more than just digestible. It’s inspirational, shedding new light on how even an age-old system like the law can be made more efficient and relevant through technology. This gives rise to hope that other jurisdictions globally may also follow suit, ushering in an era where artificial intelligence becomes a trusted and valued aid in the formulation, review, and implementation of laws all around the world.
