in a move that confuses everyone, Hochul to spend $275M to buid an AI center for NY state

[dead0man]

'cause, ya know, state govts totally need to have their own AI developement houses.

New York Times and from the governor herself

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the creation of a consortium to secure New York's place at the forefront of the artificial intelligence transformation. The consortium, named Empire AI, will create and launch a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence computing center in Upstate New York to be used by New York’s leading institutions to promote responsible research and development, create jobs, and unlock AI opportunities focused on public good. Governor Hochul also released a new policy to ensure agencies within state government understand how to responsibly harness the opportunity of AI technology to better serve New Yorkers.

“Since the days of the Erie Canal, New York has always led the nation on technology and innovation,” Governor Hochul said. “The Empire AI consortium will be transformative: Bringing jobs and opportunity to New York and making us a global leader in this groundbreaking sector. Together with our partners in academia and the private sector, we’ll harness the power of artificial intelligence and ensure this technology is being used for the public interest.”

Access to the computing resources that power AI systems is prohibitively expensive and difficult to obtain. These resources are increasingly concentrated in the hands of large technology companies, who maintain outsized control of the AI development ecosystem. As a result, researchers, public interest organizations, and small companies are being left behind, which has enormous implications for AI safety and society at large. Empire AI will bridge this gap and accelerate the development of AI centered in public interest for New York State. Enabling this pioneering AI research and development will also help educational institutions incubate the AI-focused technology startups of the future, driving job growth.

Empire AI will be a consortium that includes seven founding institutions—Columbia, Cornell University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the State University of New York (SUNY), the City University of New York (CUNY), and the Simons Foundation. By increasing collaboration between New York State’s world-class research institutions, Empire AI will allow for efficiencies of scale not able to be achieved by any single university, empower and attract top notch faculty and expand educational opportunity, and give rise to a wave of responsible innovation that will significantly strengthen our state’s economy and our national security. The University of Buffalo is under consideration as a potential site.

I thought you guys were scared of AI, taking all the jobs, something something big brother and all that.  I suppose you shouldn't worry, like high speed rail in CA, there is little to no chance this ever actually produces anything of value (other than corruption, kick backs and delays).

[It’s so Joever]

There absolutely are ethical concerns that do need to be discussed with AI as will countless industries shift (with some being made obsolete) by the technology, but a complete ban on AI like some Atlas posters on here have pushed was never a realistic policy option. This is on paper a good move by Hochul. The rest of the world won’t stop researching AI, we ought not either.

[Blue3]

Well it’s about how to regulate AI and better prevent issues with it.

“strengthen our state’s economy and our national security.”

“promote responsible research and development, […]Governor Hochul also released a new policy to ensure agencies within state government understand how to responsibly harness the opportunity of AI technology to better serve New Yorker“

“technology companies, who maintain outsized control of the AI development ecosystem”

[Neo-Malthusian Misanthrope]

I'd rather AI research be done by a SUNY Compsci department than have it be wholly owned by Google and Amazon

[Electric Circus]

The "competition to steal as much money from the public as possible" theory of New York State politics remains undefeated.

SUNY campuses are cutting faculty and forbidding travel expenses, and the state's budget math over the next year will be even harsher. But what's a few hundred million here and there for various "investments" in capital projects?

[Stranger in a strange land]

There absolutely are ethical concerns that do need to be discussed with AI as will countless industries shift (with some being made obsolete) by the technology, but a complete ban on AI like some Atlas posters on here have pushed was never a realistic policy option. This is on paper a good move by Hochul. The rest of the world won’t stop researching AI, we ought not either.

It isn't possible to "ban" AI since it's hard to even define (it's at least partly a marketing term, a few years ago it was referred to as "algorithms" or "machine learning"), but the cynical part of me worries that this is just a giveaway to big tech companies.

[Aurelius2]

Demon worship

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

There absolutely are ethical concerns that do need to be discussed with AI as will countless industries shift (with some being made obsolete) by the technology, but a complete ban on AI like some Atlas posters on here have pushed was never a realistic policy option. This is on paper a good move by Hochul. The rest of the world won’t stop researching AI, we ought not either.

It isn't possible to "ban" AI since it's hard to even define (it's at least partly a marketing term, a few years ago it was referred to as "algorithms" or "machine learning"), but the cynical part of me worries that this is just a giveaway to big tech companies.

I'm more optimistic that this will keep the tech from being monopolized by big tech companies.

[GM Team Member and Deputy PPT WB]

Demon worship

the only demons i worship are hot anthro demons that i keep trying to summon but it never works

[wnwnwn]

I feel like one or some tech companies will benefic out of this (or at least their lobbyists have done).
She could try to use a pro Upstate investment regional proud rethoric, a 'keep level with China' AratiDem rethoric on it or the more old school anti monopolistic (and anti Amazon) rethoric to avoid backlash. The problem is that AI itself is everything but popular. Nobody thinks it will generate more jobs overall. It's just another way for business to reduce costs, especially wage costs...
Despite that, I suppose is not part of a plan to destroy the world or something like that.

[It’s so Joever]

There absolutely are ethical concerns that do need to be discussed with AI as will countless industries shift (with some being made obsolete) by the technology, but a complete ban on AI like some Atlas posters on here have pushed was never a realistic policy option. This is on paper a good move by Hochul. The rest of the world won’t stop researching AI, we ought not either.

It isn't possible to "ban" AI since it's hard to even define (it's at least partly a marketing term, a few years ago it was referred to as "algorithms" or "machine learning"), but the cynical part of me worries that this is just a giveaway to big tech companies.

The luddites here never were exactly interested in feasibility.