New York Governor Kathy Hochul has revealed that her administration is deploying artificial intelligence to analyze “every single rule, regulation, [and] policy” across the state in an effort to identify and eliminate outdated legislation. The announcement came during an interview with Bloomberg’s Odd Lots podcast, where Hochul described the initiative as a transformative use of AI in government.
New York is turning to AI to streamline government by identifying antiquated regulations. (Image: Janson_G / Pixabay)
AI Cuts Years of Work Down to Months
According to Hochul, manually reviewing the full body of New York’s state laws and regulations would have required roughly five years of staff-level work. By leveraging AI, her team accomplished the same task “in a couple of months.” The technology was used to scan and analyze the state’s entire regulatory framework, flagging rules that are no longer relevant or necessary.
“We have a government that’s full of old rules that don’t make sense anymore,” Hochul said during the interview. Among the antiquated laws identified by the AI are a $25 fee required to take a dog hunting and a stipulation that pregnant individuals need a permit to work after midnight.
Streamlining Government With Technology
The governor made clear that her administration intends to take aggressive action based on the AI’s findings. “This will allow us to get rid of these outdated regulations,” she said. Hochul described the effort as part of a broader vision for more efficient government: “I want a government that’s not on your back but on your side, and using AI has been powerful to do that.”
She added that she believes “every level of government should use this” and vowed to make “dramatic changes using the power of AI.”
A Busy Week for New York AI Policy
The AI review initiative comes just days after Hochul signed an executive order making New York the first state in the nation to impose a moratorium on new hyperscale data center construction. The one-year pause targets facilities consuming 50 megawatts or more, giving state lawmakers time to develop regulations addressing rising utility costs and environmental concerns tied to massive data centers.
Together, the two moves paint a nuanced picture of New York’s approach to AI: regulating the infrastructure that powers the technology while aggressively adopting the technology itself to improve government operations.
A Blueprint for Other States?
Hochul’s remarks suggest she sees New York’s experiment as a model for governments nationwide. “I think every level of government should use this,” she told Bloomberg, signaling that the approach could be replicated in other states and even at the federal level. With the cost of AI tools continuing to fall and their capabilities expanding, the idea of AI-assisted regulatory review is likely to gain traction among government leaders seeking to modernize bureaucracy without ballooning headcount.