Mamdani says feds abdicated on AI, urges New Yorkers to fight back
Speaking at The People’s AI Assembly on Oct 19, 2026, Mayor Mamdani slammed federal inaction on AI and highlighted local New York city school bans.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Mamdani criticized the federal government for failing to regulate artificial intelligence.
- Urged New Yorkers to resist feeling helpless against the rapid integration of AI.
- Highlighted local bans on AI in schools and rules against deceptive real estate media.
During an appearance at The People’s AI Assembly hosted by the AI Now Institute on October 19, 2026, Mayor Mamdani encouraged New Yorkers to fight back against the overwhelming narrative that artificial intelligence is bound to take over their jobs, children's minds, and human dignity. He argued that citizens must reclaim control at a time when the federal government is doing virtually nothing to regulate the technology.
With federal oversight lacking, local governance has stepped in. Last month, Mamdani enacted a ban on AI utilization in elementary and middle schools. Glazer, a parent in the district, voiced her unease regarding the intrusive nature of the technology entering classrooms without proper consent.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
"It just makes me nervous. It feels so non-consensual, as though…this has to be in schools. It wasn’t two years ago. Why does it have to be in schools?"
Glazer
Earlier in the summer, the mayor also rolled out a policy mandating landlords, brokers, and real estate platforms to explicitly disclose if listing photos or videos are generated by AI, protecting residents from deceptive housing listings. Both local actions directly challenge the notion that the public must passively accept the unchecked expansion of AI tools.
The push by local leadership highlights a growing regulatory gap at the national level, where artificial intelligence debates are frequently framed through the lens of a geopolitical arms race with China rather than human safety. Meanwhile, the federal administration's Superintelligence Task Force continues to favor industry self-regulation over mandatory restrictions, despite profound warnings from whistleblowers.
Mamdani pointed to the dangerous consequences of reckless technological deployment without accountability, citing the U.S. military strike in February on an Iranian school that killed over 150 people, including at least 123 children. Pentagon investigators noted that an overreliance on AI targeting contributed significantly to the tragic attack.
As major AI firms like Anthropic prepare for public market debuts in 2026 and OpenAI targets a 2027 IPO, Mamdani condemned the complete abdication of federal regulation, stressing that national conversations remain trapped in competitive rhetoric while humanistic concerns are pushed aside.
Source: TechCrunch
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