Sen. Gounardes and Asm. Bores: Europe’s New AI Rules Make Clear—the RAISE Act is Feasible and Necessary

Voluntary commitment by major AI developers to the EU AI Act's Code of Practice demonstrates absurdity of anti-RAISE arguments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 21, 2025

New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Alex Bores issued the following statement in response to the voluntary decision by Amazon, Microsoft, OpenAI and dozens of other AI developers to adhere to the European Union’s new AI Code of Practice:

“Time and again, we’ve been told that commonsense AI safeguards like the RAISE Act are bad for business, or that it’s impossible for the world’s most advanced developers to follow them. The EU’s new AI rules—and the decision by dozens of major developers to voluntarily sign on to them—makes clear that was always a lie.

“Experts, international bodies, and the literal godfathers of AI have sounded the alarm about the risk of unchecked AI to conduct devastating cyberattacks, produce bioweapons, or commit severe financial crimes. People want AI to make their lives better, not put it at risk. That’s exactly why I introduced the RAISE Act.

“Basic AI safeguards aren’t just possible. They’re necessary to protect New Yorkers from harm while enabling beneficial uses of Al to flourish. The latest news from Europe is a clear sign: this can be done. So let’s get the RAISE Act done now.”

Background:

While AI drives innovation across New York—from healthcare to climate solutions—there is growing consensus among experts that the policy window to address severe risks may close soon. One recent report warned that "the opportunity to establish effective AI governance frameworks may not remain open indefinitely."

The International AI Safety Report has warned that near-future AI systems may result in “large-scale labour market impacts, AI-enabled hacking or biological attacks, and society losing control over general-purpose AI,” among other potential risks to public safety.

The Responsible AI Safety and Education Act (RAISE) Act (S6953/A6453) requires the largest AI companies to create basic safety and security protocols for severe risks such as assisting in the creation of bioweapons or carrying out automated criminal activity. The bill has passed both houses of the New York State Legislature and is now awaiting the Governor’s signature.

Press Contacts:

Billy Richling

Communications Director

State Senator Andrew Gounardes

billy@senatorgounardes.nyc

Anna Myers

Chief of Staff

Assemblymember Alex Bores

anna@alexbores.nyc 

###