On 14 January 2025, during her State of the State Address (the Address), New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new proposal aimed at supporting workers displaced by artificial intelligence (AI).1 This proposal would require employers to disclose whether AI tools played a role in mass layoffs or closings subject to New York’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (NY WARN Act). Governor Hochul announced that she is directing the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) to enact and enforce this requirement. The DOL does not have a timeline for implementing the new requirement, and Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon acknowledged that “defining what counts as an AI-related layoff would be a challenge [to implementation].”2
In the Address, Governor Hochul acknowledged the benefits of AI, stating, “[innovations in AI] have the ability to change the way businesses operate, leading to greater efficiency, fewer business disruptions, and increased responsiveness to customer needs.” However, the implementation of AI tools in the workplace leads to increased automation, which may result in increased job loss, wage stagnation or loss, reduced hiring, lack of job satisfaction, and skill obsolescence—all of which are major concerns for US workers.3
The primary goals of imposing these employer disclosures are to: (i) aid transparency and gather data on the impact of AI technologies on employment and employees; and (ii) ensure the integration of AI tools into the...
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