Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York and comedian Ilana Glazer recently discussed the impact of AI in society, with Mamdani encouraging New Yorkers to resist the encroachment of this technology. At the People’s AI Assembly, Mamdani argued that the rapid implementation of AI is not a foregone conclusion and that public officials should hold tech companies accountable.

Mamdani's concerns extend to AI's impact on education and housing, with the mayor banning its use in New York City's elementary and middle schools and introducing a policy requiring clear disclosure of AI-generated property listings. He highlighted the risks of the technology, citing a fatal military strike in Iran that he attributes, in part, to overreliance on AI. Mamdani criticized the federal government's lack of action, saying it has abdicated responsibility in favour of an arms race with China.

“There is this desire to speak about [AI] as if it is infallible, as if it cannot be questioned, as if the only people who can regulate it are the ones who are currently developing it,” said Mamdani. “What it really is, is an attempt to escape any kind of accountability at any level, without also jeopardizing the potential valuation from an IPO.”

Amid growing fears about AI’s potential to disrupt every aspect of life, including the risk of human extinction, Mamdani believes there needs to be a new framework for thinking about and regulating AI. His calls for action echo a similar sentiment from tech giants like Facebook, which previously made similar arguments in 2008.

As AI companies like Anthropic are set to debut publicly and OpenAI prepares for an IPO in 2027, Mamdani's warnings resonate with a growing sense of urgency in the tech community.