Mamdani says feds have abdicated on AI, urges New Yorkers to push back

TechCrunch · Rebecca Bellan · 20 October 2026, 01:27

Mayor Zohran Mamdani told New Yorkers at a People’s AI Assembly event that AI deployment is not inevitable and urged public pressure for accountability. The talk followed his order banning AI use in elementary and middle schools last month. His stance pushed cities toward regulating and restricting AI directly rather than treating it as unavoidable federal policy gaps.

Why it matters

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday night that New Yorkers must resist the narrative that an AI takeover is inevitable and demand regulations that protect the public and put power back in their hands.