Descriptions:
New York State Assembly Member Alex Boris joins the Cognitive Revolution’s year-end live show to give a firsthand account of where the RAISE Act stands — New York’s landmark AI safety legislation — at what turns out to be a critical moment. Boris explains that after passing the legislature, the bill entered New York’s chapter amendment process, where roughly a third of signed bills undergo direct negotiation between sponsors and the governor. With a constitutional signing deadline of just days away at the time of recording, Boris describes active back-channel discussions centered on whether to realign the RAISE Act with California’s SB 1047 framework.
Boris pushes back sharply on that direction, arguing that simply mirroring SB 1047 would provide zero additional protection for New Yorkers: any company regulated in New York under such a bill is already subject to the California law. He frames SB 1047 as always having been meant as the floor, not the ceiling, and argues that matching it would be like being the 39th state to ratify a constitutional amendment — legally irrelevant. The conversation also covers the federal dimension, including a presidential executive order aimed at preempting state-level AI safety legislation, and well-funded super PACs that have begun targeting legislators sponsoring these bills.
Boris, a computer engineer by training and a four-year Palantir alum, offers a rare technical-insider perspective on how AI policy navigates state legislative systems — and what it takes to advance AI safety regulation when industry pressure, federal preemption, and political timelines all collide simultaneously.
📺 Source: Cognitive Revolution “How AI Changes Everything” · Published December 19, 2025
🏷️ Format: Interview
