WorkAugust 31, 2026via The Verge AI
New York Governor Kathy Hochul thinks AI should be ‘less evil’
Why it matters
A major U.S. state governor is framing AI regulation around workforce anxiety and labor displacement, not just capability or safety. Her strategy—blocking hyperscale data centers and demanding community benefits—is becoming a bipartisan political play that will reshape how tech deploys infrastructure and justifies growth.
Key signals
- NY Governor Hochul imposed one-year moratorium on hyperscale data center construction in July; expires in one year
- Five data center applications in St. Lawrence County alone would consume power equivalent to one nuclear reactor
- Governor cited finding that 81% of jobs likely displaced by AI are held by women
- NY state used AI to audit all rules and regulations; first 50 recommendations saved 1.5M+ hours of business/individual paperwork
- Meta settlement with 47 states includes age verification (de-anonymization), no notifications midnight-6AM for under-18s, automatic privacy controls, AI chatbot disclaimers
- NY passed full ban on cell phones in schools; May 2026 survey shows 75-80% of schools report overwhelmingly positive results
- NY has lowest gun homicide death rate in America due to strict regulations
- Governor compared data center expansion to Bethlehem Steel collapse in Buffalo (1982, 20,000 job losses); frames her stance as preventing repeat
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott followed NY's data-center moratorium leadership
- Governor acknowledged Flock camera CEO stated regulatory process would NOT provide civil liberties protections as assumed
- Republican opposition to data centers scrambling traditional party lines; hardcore MAGA voters in Florida opposing Byron Donalds over data-center support
- AI labs framing their challenge as a marketing problem; Governor countered it's an attitude and product problem
- Governor stated she will 'challenge' data companies to go vertical, reduce footprint, accept higher costs for better community outcomes
- Interview framed around realignment: surveillance, data centers, and AI regulation no longer split along party lines
- NY data center moratorium (1 year, signed July 2024) tied to workforce displacement concerns, not technical safety
- Governor claims 81% of jobs likely displaced by AI are held by women
- Hochul used AI to audit 45 state agencies' rules in one month; first 50 recommendations saved 1.5M hours of paperwork
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott followed NY's moratorium lead on hyperscale data centers
- Hochul explicitly connects anxiety about data centers to historical job loss (Buffalo steel mills 1982, 20,000 workers)
- Governor frames AI companies' issue as 'attitude problem' not 'marketing problem'—companies laying off 10K workers 'because of AI' is shareholders play, not necessity
- NY passed restrictions on teen social media use (midnight–6am notification ban, automatic privacy controls, age verification requirement)
- Bipartisan backlash to surveillance (Flock cameras) and data centers described as party realignment issue
- Governor used Claude/ChatGPT for state regulation audit (second-hand, not direct use)
The hook
New York's governor wants AI 'less evil'—and she's using data-center bans and surveillance restrictions to prove it. Here's what that means for your job.
Today, I’m talking with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and I’ll just warn you — this episode moves really fast. It’s an election year, after all, with a shocking amount of tech policy at stake, and Governor Hochul has taken strong positions on almost every major tech issue there is.
For example, Me…