Monday, March 2, 2026
In today’s digest, pet-friendly policies, a lunar eclipse, and employee AI use at tech companies. 🤖💼
Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
Somebody must’ve met with the NYC Dog Mayor: Paw-licy changes are coming from the City Council, which just launched an Animal Welfare Caucus to make NYC more pet-friendly and more affordable for pet parents. 🐶 (amNY)
Last year a Gallup poll found that 52% of U.S. pet owners report skipping or declining vet care due to cost.
Council Member Harvey Epstein and Speaker Julie Menin are spearheading the new Caucus and plan to push more humane policies that lower the cost of pet care for New Yorkers.
Somebody call Bonnie Tyler: A total lunar eclipse (of the heart) will turn the moon red Tuesday morning around 6am, and we won’t see another one like it until late 2028. 🌕 (PIX 11)
The so-called “blood moon” happens when Earth slips between the sun and a full moon, casting a shadow that makes it glow reddish-orange.
You don’t need special equipment to see the eclipse, but binoculars or a telescope can obviously enhance your view. NASA recommends finding a dark environment away from bright lights.
Somebody yell at Staten Island Chuck: Who else caught that whiff of spring weather Saturday? Well, we're looking at another quick burst of snow tomorrow afternoon that will likely turn to rain by the evening. 🌧️ (NBC New York)
But there’s good news: The back half of this week and into the weekend will see higher temps in the 40s and 50s, and then potentially 70s (!) next week.
But is it a “false spring”?
In other reading:
This is the cheapest NYC supermarket for New Yorkers to get groceries right now (Secret NYC)
The best new bars in New York City, mapped (Eater)
U.S. schools are betting big on AI. Will New York City be next? (New York Times)
AI at Work: From “Nice to Have” to Mandatory
If you work in tech, using AI has become a job requirement. From Big Tech to consultancies, companies are tracking, measuring, and in some cases enforcing AI usage across their workforce.
Here’s how these new tools are reshaping the workplace.👇
🤖 AI use is now part of the job: Tech firms including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta are factoring AI use into performance reviews and promotion decisions.
42% of tech workers said their manager expects AI use in day-to-day work, up from 32% eight months earlier.
Google is, for the first time, factoring AI use into performance reviews of its software engineers.
Meta has made “AI-driven impact” a “core expectation” and assesses employees on how they use AI to deliver results.
Microsoft told employees that using AI is “no longer optional — it’s core to every role and every level,” and managers will evaluate AI usage in reviews.
📊 Managers are tracking it: Several companies are actively measuring employee AI adoption.
Managers at Amazon Web Services have dashboards outlining engineer AI-tool usage, and Salesforce has added an internal AI fluency progress tracker.
🧑💼 It’s not just the larger tech companies: Companies across the entire workforce are demanding AI fluency.
A September 2025 AI Resume Builder survey found 58% of 1,295 companies require a certain number of employees to use AI tools.
⚠️ But wait: IT leaders warn that vague mandates can backfire.
Security pros say forced adoption could incentivize employees to use unapproved tools to hit usage targets.
🗽 New York is ahead of the curve: New data from the City Comptroller’s Office shows that relative to its population, New York uses Claude more than any other U.S. state, trailing only Washington, D.C.
43% of New Yorkers’ work-related Claude conversations are in computer and mathematical occupations, versus 27% nationally — suggesting NYC’s “AI-at-work” shift is especially concentrated in technical roles.
Tech:NYC is also making sure the social sector stays ahead with this technology through our Decoded Futures initiative, empowering nonprofits with AI to scale their impact.
Anthropic in action: This Thursday, Anthropic will present at Tech:NYC’s NYC AI Demos event, featuring an all-female lineup of technical leaders from Anthropic, Datadog, Suno, Housewarming, Greenly, and Vellum.
In other reading:
What AI executives tell their own kids about the jobs of the future (Wall Street Journal)
Two-thirds of Gen Z say they rely on self-taught skills to find a job (Fast Company)
Two top EY leaders explain why a lack of experience is a junior consultant's big advantage in the age of AI (Business Insider)
Escargot, an NYC-based digital celebration and e-card startup, raised $2.75 million in funding. Wischoff Ventures and Hannah Grey Ventures led the round and were joined by South Park Commons, Magic Fund, and others.
March 3: Access Enterprise Customers Through Partnerships, a panel with Nvidia, Microsoft, Plug & Play, and more on how to navigate and plug into partner ecosystems and how to maximize value through the marketplace. Register here.
March 4: NYC Indie Games March Social, a long-running monthly gathering for indie game devs and pals of all stripes to mix and mingle in a relaxed setting. Register here.
March 5: NYC AI Demos, from Tech:NYC, Pensar, and The Refinery at Domino, featuring an all-female lineup of technical leaders from Anthropic, Datadog, Suno, Housewarming, Greenly, and Vellum building real AI products across infrastructure, dev tools, healthcare, fintech, and more. Register here.
March 5: Commonweal Ventures Briefing: Procurement at the Department of War, a virtual conversation with Andrew Hunter, Former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. Register here.
March 10: Hiring Beyond the 5 Boroughs, a roundtable for Heads of HR/People Ops and Talent to have an honest, off-the-record conversation about what’s working, what’s broken, and what no one really talks about when it comes to non-local hiring. Register here.
March 18: NY AI Engineers Meetup with Google, Instacart, & Tabs, a monthly gathering focused exclusively on AI engineering. Register here.
March 19: City & State’s Digital New York Summit, for New York’s technology and information leaders from government and industry to gather for candid discussions and thought-provoking presentations on innovative ideas that are making everyday life for all New Yorkers more livable, safer, and more convenient. Register here with promo code TECHNYC for 25% off.
March 19: Founder Breakfast, a highly curated breakfast for founders who have raised Seed to Series B. Register here.
March 19: Human by Design: The Empathy Edge in an AI World, for women and allies who build — PMs, founders, designers, marketers, and engineers — to discuss how empathy, judgment, and collaborative AI tools can help you grow your influence and deliver meaningful impact in your work. Register here.
March 19: Airtable Buildathon, a one-day, live builder competition where participants solve real business challenges using Airtable and AI-powered workflows. Register here.
March 25: Speed Pitch: Guaranteed 1:1 Meetings With Investors, for tech startups with market-ready MVP or revenue generating, preferably with one underrepresented founder, pre-seed to Series A. Register here with promo code TECHNYC20 for 20% off.
March 26: Founder Dinner, an intimate evening with a highly curated group of Series A+ founders that are scaling. Register here.
March 27: Founders & Investors Soiree, a curated happy hour bringing together founders, builders, and investors across tech, AI, and Web3. Register here.
March 31: The Elements of Power: Nicolas Niarchos in Conversation with Commonweal Ventures’ Nate Loewentheil, a discussion on Niarchos’ new book, The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth. Register here.
March 31: Runway AI Summit, bringing together industry leaders across media, technology, consumer brands, robotics, and more to explore how AI is reshaping how work gets done — and what comes next for enterprise. Register here with promo code TECHNYC50 for 50% off.
April 6-9: HumanX’s conference for AI leaders in San Francisco, uniting 6,500+ leaders, builders, and investors driving real transformation. Discover cutting-edge innovations and accelerate your impact through networking opportunities. Register here with promo code HX26P_TECHNYC to get $$$ off your pass.
Daily Digest Rewards 🎁
Treat yourself: Send subscribers our way, and we’ll send swag your way.
1 Referral: Shoutout in the Digest
5 Referrals: Obviously NYC Hat
10 Referrals: Obviously NYC Tote Bag
25 Referrals: Obviously NYC Sweatshirt
{{rp_personalized_text}}
Or share your personal link with others: {{ rp_refer_url }}
Any feedback or suggestions of things to add? Get in touch here.
Was this digest forwarded to you? Sign up to receive it directly here.
