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- Welcome to this week's edition of "New York Now".

I'm Shantel Destra.

The rise of artificial intelligence has prompted some elected officials to look at ways to combat its potential dangers.

This year, state budget established Empire AI, which governor Kathy Hochul says will secure New York's place at the forefront of AI research.

It also included legislation requiring disclosures when artificial intelligence is being used to generate content.

But some lawmakers and advocates argue that there needs to be even more protections.

A few months ago, lawmakers in the assembly held a public hearing focused on consumer protection and safety when it comes to AI.

Assembly member Alex Bores plans to introduce a slew of bills next year aims at requiring labels on images online so users know when content has been manipulated.

For more on those priorities, David Lombardo of the Capitol Press room spoke with the assembly member.

Here's that conversation.

- Well, thanks so much for making the time Assembly member.

I really appreciate it.

- Thanks for having me.

- So in September, you were part of an assembly hearing that examined how to protect consumers from artificial intelligence in the future.

And it seemed like the first step is making the public aware of when AI is being used to manipulate or generate content, which was actually the subject of legislation adopted in 2024.

But moving forward, what other steps can the state mandate to help promote awareness?

- This technology is developing really quickly and so the actions that the state is gonna have to take will also develop really quickly.

But we definitely want to do more in encouraging people to know when AI is being used and when it's not being used, so that we know that we can actually trust the images or the information that we're getting.

We want to know more about the training sets that are being used for many of these models.

We wanna ensure that consumers are protected and that people are taking due care when they're putting out new algorithms and we want to protect from some of the biggest potential threats that might come from really advanced frontier models.

- So the legislation that was the focus this year is about sort of requiring a disclosure, but what about requiring some sort of disclosure or fingerprints on the content that's being generated to ensure that at least tech savvy people can see if something was manipulated at all?

- I think that's a great idea and I daresay we should do a few bills on it.

To detect what is false will always be a cat and mouse game because the image generators will get better and better.

A more reliable way of approaching this problem, at least from a technical standpoint, is to rely on proving what is true.

And so there is a open source standard that many an industry have come together to create called C2PA, which can label any image or video with how it was created and any of the edits or manipulations that occurred throughout its development.

And so that works for both AI generated content and real content.

If we can get to a place where 90 to 95% of images or video have this metadata tag, then everyone will just know, okay, if it's not there, I shouldn't trust it.

And that's a much more reliable way to build trust in systems.

So I'm actually introducing whether it's one bill or four bills, four initiatives in order to encourage the use of C2PA, which would either mandate retaining the information or producing the information if you are an AI image generator and all of the big ones already produce this information, if you're a social media company, you'd have to retain it if users upload it.

If you're government, you'd have to retain it and also produce it wherever practicable.

And if you are a statewide campaign, those with truly the resources to do so would have to ensure that every image, whether it's AI generated or not, has this tag starting in the 2026 to 2030 cycle.

- Well, yeah, it's interesting you mention the mandates that you're looking to impose and the different players that you want to impose this on.

And because basically these tools can be used by anyone to create or manipulate content, but there really are only a few outlets that can be used for the mass distribution of that content.

And I'm thinking like you mentioned, social media sites as well as traditional broadcasting platforms.

So is it fair to mandate this type of disclosure on these platforms or is there a reason to think that they shouldn't necessarily have to be responsible for the content on their sites?

- This isn't an outside mandate.

This is encouraging a standard that industry itself has come up with.

And actually at the oversight hearing that you referenced at the start of this, Tech:NYC, which represents most of the social media companies, actually asked for an encouragement that social media companies be required to preserve this information.

If we can design it in a way where it's clear and easy to comply with, we can actually build more trust in everything we see online, which only benefits these systems in the long run.

So you can think of it not as, you know, governments saying, oh you have to do this newfangled thing, but recognizing that industry is coming up with some of their own solutions and we are cheerleading that and encouraging compliance so that we can all have a more trustworthy experience.

- Well it's interesting to hear you talk about the high tech industry trying to come up with its own ideas in this area because tech companies traditionally balk at any sort of government mandates and we're seeing that play out right now with some efforts to regulate the use of social media tools by young people.

So how much deference are you prepared to give some of these platforms as opposed to telling them no, this is how you're going to go about doing this?

- The question isn't on deference, it's on what's the best way to get it done.

And if the comments that we're getting back from industry are, we don't want to do anything here, well we're not gonna give that any deference.

If it's, it would be very difficult to comply with this, it'd be very difficult technically to build this into the system.

But if we went about it this other technical way, we could achieve all the goals we want.

That's really useful feedback.

So yeah, as you know, I come from the tech industry, I have written code myself.

I wanna make sure that the laws we write can actually be implemented.

So on that level, I'm gonna be listening quite closely, but I think we all share the goals of knowing that when we see an image, we know whether that's true or false.

- Well, we've been talking about regulating the end product of artificial intelligence, but what about regulating how it's actually used?

Is that something the state government can wrap its arms around too?

- Absolutely.

And I think there's gonna be two broad approaches to that.

One will be specific instances of using AI.

So you've already seen many bills proposed, some passed by my colleagues on when AI is used for an employment decision, for hiring or firing, regulating if it's used to, if you're signing away your rights to be recreated as an actor or a performer, then you need to be represented by a union or a lawyer in that negotiation.

You've seen bills about the broad disclosure if it's used as a chat bot, and these are all my colleagues initiatives that I think are are great steps forward, you're also gonna see a set of bills around broadly regulating AI itself because there's some specifics to how that technology works that are better addressed at that level.

So you've seen just this past year Colorado pass the first consumer protection bill for AI and that, with some tweaks is being used as a model throughout the country for new bills because ultimately we'll be more successful if we're all kind of aligning of the steps we're taking.

And so I'm working on a version of the Colorado bill with legislators in Connecticut and in Texas and in Virginia and all over the country to try to bring some broad protection to consumers as well.

- Is there a benefit to trying to standardize some of these approaches so that the states aren't necessarily doing things that are at odds with each other?

- Absolutely.

And that's when I think we've had the most success is when we are all talking.

And I think the good news is that legislators from throughout the country have been meeting every two weeks to discuss the latest developments in AI and develop bills together.

So you know, I think we are, I'll speak for myself quite worried about what's coming from the federal government, whether it's inaction on important issues or or things that are actually harmful.

But as the states we've been preparing for this and uniting and working together on unified bills.

- New York is trying to develop a new artificial intelligence technology and use it as part of its Empire AI Initiative, a public-private partnership based out of Buffalo.

What are your expectations for this venture?

Because it's been billed as sort of the end all be all of AI development and New York's gonna be at the forefront of this technology.

- Nothing is the end all be all of of AI development, but it is a really great initiative and you're seeing other states try to copy it now.

California tried to do it this year and failed in legislation creating a cluster of the advanced chips that are needed for AI research and giving that at a discount to universities, to researchers in New York state will not only encourage the kind of research we really want of AI, of safety research and anti-bias research, but will also end up spinning off companies and benefiting the economy.

So I think it's a wonderful way to be forward thinking in terms of the short term applications of AI, I think there's a lot more we need to do when it comes to the long term.

- How do you anticipate this research endeavor will inform some of the regulations that might be born out in the future, 'cause as you mentioned, this is an evolving area.

So if we're the ones developing the technology, will we also be in a better place to develop future regulations?

- My team hates when I say this, but I love nothing more than a study or a paper that changes my mind.

We would be silly not to be looking at the research that comes out of Empire AI and I think that very much will inform what we do going forward.

- So you mentioned earlier that you have this background with computers.

I believe you have a degree in computer science and you know, you're also one of the younger members of the state legislature.

So when you want to take that background and your own interests into these issues, do you feel like you've got colleagues who are receptive to the views and the ideas you want to share and discuss?

Or is it sometimes an uphill battle, like trying to talk to your parents about an app on their smartphones?

- First of all, my parents have come a long way in dealing with their cell phones, so- - Maybe your parents are younger than mine.

- Yeah, no, my colleagues are are very receptive.

I think throughout the country you wanna be talking to experts in whatever you end up legislating.

I happen to know a lot about the technical side of AI, but these decisions should be made as a society as a whole.

And I love learning from my colleagues about how they're seeing AI be implemented in their communities, how they're seeing sometimes the gap in access to these new technologies.

I mean this is a conversation for everyone to partake in and I really welcome what they are bringing, the same way they welcome what I am.

- And what about the actual act of regulating these issues?

We've seen the state attorney general's office take the lead on say social media regulations and they've also been discussing artificial intelligence, but we've also seen the Department of Financial Services in this space as well.

Does there need to be a lead agency focused on say, artificial intelligence or does it make sense to defer to different agencies depending on how the technology's being used?

- I don't think that question is settled yet.

There are certainly times where you might wanna spin up a new agency.

Ideally, I think you'd probably want that at the federal level.

But again, this technology's moving so quickly that locking in a brand new agency at this point, I just don't think that's a settled question.

- And when you think about legislation on this front moving forward, is this an area where it is so big and it is so far reaching that for some of the issues that we've talked about, they're gonna have to ultimately get done as say, language in the budget or some sort of omnibus bill?

Or do you think this is a topic best approached in a piecemeal form?

- Both.

This, if we're spinning up a new agency, if that's the response, obviously that's a budget conversation.

If it's protecting individual uses, that's an individual bill part.

But I think we can still do big things through the normal legislative process.

I mean, one of the things that I am gonna be focused on this session is thinking about those frontier models, the ones that are really pushing the limitation of what we know and what we can predict and making sure that everyone that develops them has at the bare minimum a safety plan in place that they're actually sharing with a third party and following along with.

But maybe a way to do that is not just to say have a safety plan, but actually say if things go wrong in the real world, you're gonna be responsible for what happens there.

Now that is not spinning up a new agency that's not necessarily doing all the rulemaking, it might be a quicker way of aligning incentives and bringing success, but that can happen through the normal legislative process or in the budget.

And I welcome anyone that wants to work on it in any of those times.

- Well, we've been speaking with assembly member Alex Bores, he is a Manhattan Democrat Assembly member.

Thank you so much for making the time, I really appreciate it.

- Thanks for having me.

- And for more on AI priorities heading into the next year, you can visit our website that's at nynow.org.

Now turning to another topic, it's officially wintertime at the state capitol and just like every year, the State Office of General Services celebrates the festive time with winter traditions from the Capitol Christmas tree to the Empire State Plaza Skating Rink.

In this next segment, our Elise Klein took a day trip to learn all about those winter activities and their reception from visitors.

Here's that story.

- For many years the New York State Capitol has held a variety of holiday winter traditions.

Today we're going to walk through all of this year's festivities.

One of the biggest attractions each year is the Capitol Christmas trees.

Two trees are selected to shine holiday spirit in front of the capitol.

One is located on the Empire State Plaza and the other is located in East Capitol Park.

The Empire Plaza Tree this year was donated by the Morehouse family from Ballston Spa.

The now nearly 35 foot spruce tree has been growing in front of Paul and Jackie Morehouse's home since they moved in about 10 years ago.

- Oh, it just gets bigger each year goes a little bit, goes a little bit.

On the day, the state Office of General Services and the Department of Transportation workers came to retrieve the tree, Jackie says she was feeling emotional.

- It's almost like losing a child.

It's someone I nurtured.

I nurtured that tree.

I would make sure it got fertilizer, fed, water, trimmed.

The snow would fall on it and the the branches would droop and I would take the snow off it so it would come back to life.

Jackie says it was time for them to move on as the tree was beginning to block their driveway.

- What better way than to donate it instead of just chipping it up?

That would be, it would hurt.

It's emotional either way, but it's going somewhere now where everyone can enjoy it and it'll have its last hurrah lit up and people ice skating and having fun.

- OGS and DOT workers spent at least two hours removing the tree from the Morehouse's yard.

They removed branches, sawed the trunk, and attached a crane at the top of the tree.

After they lifted the tree and placed it onto a flatbed truck, they tied it down and covered it up for its drive to the Capitol.

While the Morehouse family was sad to see their beloved tree go, they were mesmerized by the process.

- It was pretty awesome.

It just, well, they cut it, it just broke loose and then like, it just floated, floated away.

It was different.

I never saw anything like that.

Jackie added, it still looked beautiful even after it was cut down and laid on the truck.

The second holiday tree that was placed in front of the Capitol in East Capitol Park was donated this year by the Pino family.

The estimated 40 foot tree began its journey at Tony and Kimberly Pino's home about 24 years ago.

It was only about five feet tall.

Kimberly says many family memories over the years have been shared in front of their tree.

- Pictures were taken in front of it.

Dance recital pictures, you know, any holidays.

Halloween, used to decorate it all the time.

So it's gonna feel weird not having it here, but we're gonna do another one.

The pine spruce tree also has another special meaning to the Pinos.

- Whether it's our name, it represents pine in Italian and the tree, the pine itself represents eternal life.

And so it's part of us and really honored and happy to see it have a great sendoff.

Kimberly says she has many emotions about watching their family tree leave their home.

- It's emotional, it's happy.

I'm sad.

It's a lot of good things, but it's going to a great place.

The Pinos donated the tree because it was getting too close to their house.

They watched the tree be removed by an OGS and DOT crew and after the tree was tied down on a flatbed truck, they were given a piece of the tree to keep its memory alive.

The Pinos also intend to visit the tree as a family on Christmas Eve.

About an hour or so after taking it down, the crew arrived at the state capitol.

They trimmed it down and attached the crane to then carefully place it in its designated spot in East Capitol Park.

But these aren't the only Capital holiday trees.

Another tradition at the Capitol each year includes a tree displayed inside the capitol, decorated with ornaments from all 62 counties in the state.

OGS Commissioner Jeanette Moy says the ornaments are new each year.

- We're pleased to have an opportunity to not just have you know the tree that's outside, but also the tree that's in here alongside a Kwanza kinara, a menorah, just to make sure that we're showing all of New York's incredible traditions for the holiday season.

- Moy says her favorite ornament as a native resident, born and raised is Queens.

Before the tree is lit up for the first time, the Empire Plaza hosts a variety of winter day traditions, including ice sculpting, figure skating and musical performances.

There's a lot to check out here, but we're going to start with ice sculptures.

Stanley Kolonko, owner of Ice Farm and a four-time World Ice art champion has worked with ice since 1989 at the Culinary Institute of America.

- I really liked it, but I did the chef scene for a long time.

I did ice carvings when I could.

I started competing in Canada.

In the mid-90's, I got hooked on the ice sculpting then and really started to grow my business.

Kolonko started his business in 2008 and has been sculpting ice on the plaza for about five years.

He says carving ice on the plaza is a great way to share his art with the community.

- It's quick results.

I carve quite fast.

You get a a really neat result really fast.

It's great.

I love the people, I love the crowds.

The children are always wowed by it, you know, it's just fun.

Kolonko adds ice is also an environmentally friendly medium.

- Is it's completely green.

You make it, it melts, goes back to Mother Earth, comes back and we do it again.

The process of carving his sculptures, he says, starts with a very important step.

- First of all, starts out with the ice block.

We have to, we manufacture our own ice when it's just specifically created ice, which is slowly frozen with in motion at the same time.

So you have to have the ice in motion.

It has to be under, we use a circulating pump.

So we start the ice in a tank.

Once it starts to freeze, it creates a seed.

We turn on the pump and let it grow for three days and it comes out a crystal clear block.

Kolonko says, once has the ice he brings in the design.

- Of course, I always start with some kind of a drawing or a template or an idea and I blow that up to the size I want it.

Trace that onto the ice and then just remove whatever it doesn't belong.

- This year Kolonko sculpted a reindeer, a snowman, and two doves.

Now that we've seen how ice can be conquered into art, let's see if I can conquer the ice myself.

I started out with the help of an OGS worker to get to the wall for support.

I stuck to the walls as I made my way around the rink, but I was able to gain the confidence to let go and glide by myself for at least a few seconds.

On my way back to the wall, I unfortunately lost my balance, but I got back up and finished my full lap around the rink.

Well that was quite an adventure.

I think I'm definitely more coordinated on land.

Our next stop is music.

There are a variety of performances here, including a tuba ensemble and holiday carolers.

The Rusty Pipes in acapella group from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or RPI brought a repertoire of holiday songs to sing on the plaza.

Nicole Narvaez, an undergrad student at RPI says they have been performing on the plaza for three years.

- It's a really fun tradition.

We enjoy singing around Albany.

It's fun to be with our community.

Narvaez who has been around music for most of her life, says she's glad she can continue making music with other people.

- It's the most fun to make music with other people because your creativity alone is, it's fun, but once other people start building off of what you have already have, it's unbelievable what people can do together.

Narvaez added the tight knit group offer support in her challenging biomedical engineering major.

- RPI is a, a very rigorous school.

Without the Rusty Pipes, it would, it would be some dark times, it would be some hard times studying and getting through classes.

With these guys, I know they always have my back and I know I always have music with them and I just, it's a blessing to have them, yeah.

Max Rueda, the music director of the Rusty Pipes, says the group's close friendships have made them better performers.

- So it's not just a benefit, it's, yeah, we depend on each other.

If one of us is out sick or one of us is missing, things start to fall a little bit sideways.

We still make up for it, but we really do depend on each other and we really do rely on each other's talent, each other's voices, each other's participation and presence.

Rueda says it's been a privilege for him to lead his musical team through performances like this year's caroling gig and to spend time with music, something he loves dearly.

- Why I love music is probably because of its ability to carry a message in such a unique way.

That is, that is almost, it transcends speech.

The Rusty Pipes weren't the only ones to share their talents on the plaza.

Following a performance by Tuba Christmas, skaters with the Hudson Mohawk Figure Skating Club spun, jumped and twirled around the rink with grace, wowing crowds of people watching their performance.

12-year-old Kaitlyn Lascala, who has been skating for five years, spent a lot of time and practice hard on her routine, but it was all worth it to perform.

- I love like making people happy when they see me skate and I just like being on the ice.

Lascala performed a solo and a group routine along with her fellow Hudson Mohawk figure skating club skaters.

11-year-old Kylie Davis, who also performed a solo and a group routine says performing for her is fun and freeing.

You get to like just skate around and be free and stuff.

Kind of like a bird if you think about it, 'cause it gets a glide around, it's fun.

14-year-old Sophia Brothers says they prepared for a few weeks to perform on the plaza.

- I train a lot and very hard.

I also do a lot of off ice to help me prepare, especially with some ballet movements.

Some skaters, such as 15-year-old Vanessa Coleman say they typically practice and train five days a week.

- We run the program multiple times a night and just working on performing and making it look entertaining.

Coleman says she has been performing this Christmas show for a few years now.

She loves performing this special, but her love for skating overall goes back as far as she can remember.

- I have been around the ice my entire life since my mom is a figure skating coach and my dad played hockey.

Coleman says skating keeps her on her toes.

- I love skating because there's always new tricks and elements to learn and like there's always new challenges.

And for many of the Hudson Mohawk Figure Skating Club skaters, their passion will lead them beyond holiday performances on the plaza.

- I just hope to like get far and be able to keep performing for people and everything.

When the winter activities came to an end, the Empire Plaza tree was ready for the grand finale, the Annual Tree Lighting.

Commissioner Moy counted the plaza down as the crowd joined in and the tree lit up for the first time.

The crowd cheered with excitement as fireworks then lit up the sky.

- It was a really wonderful night, you know, it was perfect temperature.

Moy, who has served as OGS Commissioner for three years says the winter traditions on the Plaza are some of her all time favorite events.

- It's where two of my kids really learned how to skate, was right here at the plaza out with those sleds.

- The holiday fun isn't quite over yet.

While the trees will only be up for another week or so, the Empire Plaza Rink will be open through the winter season until March.

So grab some skates while you can.

Elise Kline, "New York Now".

- And for more information on the winter traditions at the Capitol, you can visit our website.

Again, that's at nynow.org.

Well that does it for this edition of "New York Now".

Thank you for tuning in and see you next week.

(intense music) - [Narrator] Funding for "New York Now" is provided by WNET.