New York Legislature Passes Landmark Bill to Disclose AI-Generated News to the Public

First-in-the-nation legislation will disclose generative AI in media, reporting, and restore public trust in professional journalism

ALBANY, NY (Jun. 8) — Senator Patricia Fahy (D–Albany), Assemblymember Nily Rozic (D–NYC), and the NY FAIR News Act coalition announced that the New York state legislature passed the NY FAIR News Act (New York Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Requirements in News Act), S.8451-B / A.8962-B, landmark legislation that mandates news organizations operating in the State include clear disclaimers on published content substantially or wholly generated by artificial intelligence. The NY FAIR News Act now heads to Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk for signature.

The legislation mandates that news organizations operating in New York fully disclose to the public when they use generative AI to create news content, articles, or media. The NY FAIR News Act won bipartisan passage in both chambers and establishes a common-sense, legally sound guardrail mandating disclosure when news is not generated by a human being. According to the National Broadcasters Association, more than 76% of Americans report being concerned about AI stealing or reproducing journalism and local news stories.

The NY FAIR News Act was supported by the NYS AFL-CIO, Writers Guild of America East, SAG-AFTRA, the NewsGuild of New York, The NewsGuild-CWA, CWA District 1, Directors Guild of America, Freelancers Union, Writers Guild of America West, and workers at local and national newsrooms operating across New York State. This broad coalition came together out of recognition that the public must know when the news they read, watch, or listen to is produced by a human or by a computer.

“Perhaps one of the industries at most risk from the use of artificial intelligence is journalism, and as a result, the public’s trust and confidence in accurate news reporting,” said Senator Patricia Fahy (D—Albany). “AI is reshaping our economy at a pace faster than the Industrial Revolution. To protect the public’s trust in reporting and the news they read every day and the journalists who do the work, I’m proud that we were able to pass my NY FAIR News Act with Assemblymember Rozic to break the national mold on this issue, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the State Senate to continue enacting common sense guidelines that protect New Yorkers from the unintended consequences of AI.”

“The passage of the NY FAIR News Act is a major victory for journalism and for the communities that depend on trusted news.  As artificial intelligence continues to reshape how news is produced and distributed, we have a responsibility to ensure transparency, protect workers, and preserve the value of original reporting.  I am proud to have partnered with Senator Fahy to advance this effort and strengthen protections for both journalists and consumers,” said Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, Chair of the Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee. 

“Thank you to Senator Fahy and Assemblymember Rozic for championing a bill that ensures the integrity of the news and its workforce are safeguarded against artificial intelligence,” said Tom Fontana, President of the Writers Guild of America East. “AI will never be able to do the work journalists are required to do to accurately report and contextualize local and national news. We hope Governor Hochul will quickly sign this bill into law to mitigate one of the risks posed by AI and place value on the vital work done every day by newsroom workers.”

“SAG-AFTRA is grateful to the NY State Senate and Assembly and bill sponsors Senator Patricia Fahy and Assemblymember Nily Rozic for passing the NY FAIR News Act,” said SAG-AFTRA Chief Labor Policy Officer and New York Local Executive Director Rebecca Damon. “SAG-AFTRA supports the implementation of smart guardrails around the use of AI for all of our members working in front of a camera or behind a microphone. New York is the center of the American news industry and the broadcast journalists SAG-AFTRA represents are a key part of the state’s workforce. The NY FAIR News Act builds on the wins of our Synthetic advertising law, and creates a meaningful, enforceable protection for both journalists and consumers of news media. We encourage Governor Hochul to sign the bill into law.”

“Behind every live news broadcast are countless real-time decisions that no artificial intelligence system can fully replace, and The NY FAIR News Act ensures that the transparency, human artistry, pacing, and judgment that goes into directing news remains front and center,” said Neil Dudich, Associate National Executive Director of the Directors Guild of America (DGA). We applaud our Albany lawmakers for upholding the integrity of the news and safeguarding the right of the public to credible, quality journalism they can trust.”

Susan DeCarava, President of the NewsGuild of New York, said, “The NY FAIR News Act is a first legislative step towards holding media companies accountable for how they use artificial intelligence. As the union for news media professionals, The NewsGuild of New York believes that real journalism requires real human beings. New Yorkers from upstate to downstate deserve to trust the news they read and watch. So if media bosses want to use artificial intelligence in news gathering and analysis, then it must be under terms that are ethical, transparent, and enforceable.” 

“The NY FAIR News Act is a win for every freelance journalist, writer, and media worker who does the hard work of keeping communities informed. Freelancers have always been on the front lines of the news economy — and they deserve a level playing field that doesn’t allow corporations to replace their labor with AI away from the public eye. We thank the legislature for their partnership in passing this landmark legislation, and urge Governor Hochul to sign this bill into law, and lead our nation in holding media corporations to higher standards that benefit workers, consumers, and the public,” said Elle Toussi, Interim Executive Director of the Freelancers Union. 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:

(SENATE) Alex Flood, (518) 755-0010, flood@nysenate.gov  

(ASSEMBLY) Lisa Samarija, (518) 455-5172, Lisa@nilyrozic.org 

(WGAE) Jason Gordon, (212) 767-7809, jgordon@wgaeast.org