New York City is holding a landmark hearing on artificial intelligence today. Here is what it is, who is involved and why it matters.

The hearing is before the New York City Council. It will examine the dangers of rapidly advancing AI. Council Speaker Julie Menin called it after reports of tens of thousands of AI safety incidents.

Google, OpenAI and Anthropic will testify. They agreed only after Menin threatened subpoenas. Meta responded early. Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI was formally subpoenaed after ignoring the invite.

Former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon will also appear. He quit in September, warning that AI builders believe the technology “could kill us all by the end of the decade”.

Lawmakers are weighing bills with AI “kill switches” and rewards for whistleblowers. This is the first time big AI firms face public questioning on safety.

The hearing will not make federal law. But city-level rules could set a template for other places. It also lands as Washington debates its own AI policy.