OpenAI, Google and Anthropic Agree to Testify at NYC Council's AI Hearing After Subpoena Threat
OpenAI, Google and Anthropic have agreed to send representatives to a New York City Council hearing on artificial intelligence scheduled for Monday, October 5 — but only after Council Speaker Julie Menin threatened to subpoena them. The hearing, which will include all 51 council members, is being billed as the first public testimony under oath by major AI firms about the risks of their technology and the safeguards needed around it.
Subpoena threat broke the deadlock
According to the New York Post, Menin first wrote to the companies requesting that they appear, and only Meta agreed. The council then sent a follow-up letter explicitly threatening to use its subpoena power, after which Google, OpenAI and Anthropic agreed to attend. Menin said the firms have a significant presence in New York City and employ tens of thousands of New Yorkers, and that they owed it to workers and the public to appear, answer questions and provide input on proposed legislation under oath.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's company was the only one to accept the initial invitation. Elon Musk's SpaceXAI did not respond at all, prompting the council to issue a subpoena legally requiring its attendance. SpaceXAI did not respond to the Post's request for comment.
What the hearing will cover
The companies are being summoned to discuss the dangers of rapidly advancing AI technology, which has drawn mounting concern as reports citing tens of thousands of safety incidents have surfaced in recent days. Menin said leading experts and AI executives themselves were warning about the potentially grave risks of rapidly advancing AI, and that governments had a responsibility to act.
The hearing was announced alongside a slate of proposed bills aimed at safeguarding the technology — including requiring human override "kill switches" for AI agents and cash rewards for whistleblowers who report bad actors.
Sources: New York Post
OpenAI, Google and Anthropic have agreed to send representatives to a New York City Council hearing on artificial intelligence scheduled for Monday, October 5 — but only after Council Speaker Julie Menin threatened to subpoena them. The hearing, which will include all 51 council members, is being billed as the first public testimony under oath by major AI firms about the risks of their technology and the safeguards needed around it.
Subpoena threat broke the deadlock
According to the New York Post, Menin first wrote to the companies requesting that they appear, and only Meta agreed. The council then sent a follow-up letter explicitly threatening to use its subpoena power, after which Google, OpenAI and Anthropic agreed to attend. Menin said the firms have a significant presence in New York City and employ tens of thousands of New Yorkers, and that they owed it to workers and the public to appear, answer questions and provide input on proposed legislation under oath.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's company was the only one to accept the initial invitation. Elon Musk's SpaceXAI did not respond at all, prompting the council to issue a subpoena legally requiring its attendance. SpaceXAI did not respond to the Post's request for comment.
What the hearing will cover
The companies are being summoned to discuss the dangers of rapidly advancing AI technology, which has drawn mounting concern as reports citing tens of thousands of safety incidents have surfaced in recent days. Menin said leading experts and AI executives themselves were warning about the potentially grave risks of rapidly advancing AI, and that governments had a responsibility to act.
The hearing was announced alongside a slate of proposed bills aimed at safeguarding the technology — including requiring human override "kill switches" for AI agents and cash rewards for whistleblowers who report bad actors.
Sources: New York Post