New York governor says she’s using AI to analyze ‘every single rule’ in the state
SkimNews Take
Hochul's dual move reveals a selective AI embrace: deploying the technology for bureaucratic efficiency while freezing the data center buildout that powers it, separating algorithmic productivity from its local resource costs.
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- Governor Kathy Hochul told Bloomberg's Odd Lots podcast that her team deployed AI to analyze "every single rule, regulation, [and] policy" in New York state.
- Hochul said the AI-driven audit completed in "a couple of months" what "probably would have taken five years at the staff level," enabling agencies to "get rid of" outdated statutes.
- The review surfaced antiquated laws including a $25 fee to take a dog hunting and a requirement that pregnant people obtain a permit to work after midnight.
- Hochul declared: "I want a government that's not on your back but on your side, and using AI has been powerful to do that," adding that "every level of government should use this."
- New York separately became the first state to halt new hyperscale data center construction for up to a year, with lawmakers planning rules to shield residents from rising utility costs and environmental strain.
Why it matters: Hochul is showcasing AI as a bureaucracy-slashing tool that could compress multi-year regulatory reviews into months, giving New York agencies a fast track to repeal outdated statutes. The same week, she moved to restrict the physical infrastructure that powers large-scale AI, signaling a split stance: embrace AI in government workflows while constraining the data-center buildout driving utility costs and environmental impact.
