New York is taking a major step toward regulating artificial intelligence, preparing to implement one of the nation's most consequential AI safety statutes. On Tuesday, the state launched a registration portal that will require major frontier AI developers—companies such as Anthropic and OpenAI—to sign up by January 1, 2027.

The RAISE Act, New York's safety and transparency legislation, takes effect at the beginning of the year. Under its provisions, large frontier developers—defined as companies generating more than $500 million in annual revenue—must post safety frameworks on their websites, disclose critical safety incidents within 72 hours, and publish public model transparency reports.

A newly established agency, the Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity, and Trust (DIGIT), will carry out the RAISE Act and supervise large frontier AI laboratories. Financial penalties can reach $1 million for a single violation and $3 million for each subsequent one. The state may also pursue enforcement actions against companies that neglect to register through the new portal, though a spokesperson declined to elaborate on the details.

"Tech moguls tell us that their vision for AI is inevitable," Governor Kathy Hochul said Tuesday during a press briefing. "They tell us get on board or get left behind …That any collateral damage is worth it as long as we win the race to the AI cliff."

Also on Tuesday, Hochul announced the creation of the New York Center for AI Responsibility and Research, to be housed at the State University of New York's Binghamton University. The center will conduct independent evaluations of the safety, security, and operation of advanced AI systems, and will collaborate with DIGIT in reviewing companies' safety frameworks. Hochul initially unveiled the center in January, backed by $55 million in donations and capital.

"We're building a national model for smart, sensible AI regulation, a model that puts communities above corporations and people above powerful technology," Hochul said.

The RAISE Act is not New York's only safety law. Last year, the state began enforcing legislation requiring AI companion operators to regularly remind users they are conversing with a bot and to make reasonable efforts to detect suicidal ideation and self-harm. In October, Hochul signed a separate chatbot safety law aimed at minors, curbing behaviors such as deceptive human-like interactions, emotionally manipulative or sycophantic responses, and encouragement of actions like suicide or disordered eating. That law takes effect June 1, 2027.

Other states have enacted AI safety and transparency bills comparable to the RAISE Act. California's SB 53, effective in January, requires frontier AI labs to maintain and publish safety frameworks, provide whistleblower protections, and report critical safety incidents within 15 days. Illinois's SB 315, set to take effect at the start of 2027, imposes similar requirements and additionally mandates independent safety compliance audits.