Thursday, November 20, 2025
In today’s digest, crime is down, mayoral-elect announcements are up, and the state of tech policy in New York. 🚍🤖
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First, some key announcements coming from Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani: NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Wednesday that she will remain in her post. Mamdani will also be meeting with President Trump at the White House tomorrow. (amNY)
Meanwhile, Mamdani announced that his “first order of business” will be freezing rents for more than 2 million rent-stabilized New Yorkers. 🏘️
Stay up to date with Mamdani administration appointments with this handy tracker.
Crime is down across the board in NYC. Retail theft is down 13.6% year-over-year and police have recovered more than $2.6 million in stolen goods since expanding operations in April 2024. 🚨 (amNY)
Things are also looking up underground: Subway crime fell nearly 14% in October compared to last year, largely driven by a decrease in robberies and grand larcenies.
NYC yellow school bus operators struck a three-year contract extension, ending months of tension around possible work stoppages that could have disrupted commutes for thousands of families. 🚌 (Chalkbeat)
The contracts cover 52 bus companies employing roughly 17,500 workers.
In other reading:
The viral Erewhon smoothies have finally hit NYC — here’s how to get them delivered right to your doorstep (Secret NYC)
This buzzy Lower Manhattan street was just named one of the coolest in the world (Time Out New York)
NYC’s proposed IBX light rail: Is a fully automated train on its horizon? (amNY)
State of Tech Policy in New York
The tech policy arena in New York has had quite the year:
Tech:NYC tracked 225 tech bills during the legislative session. ✍️
That includes a record-high 85+ bills related specifically to AI. 🤖
Axios reported yesterday that President Trump has floated an executive order to override state AI laws by launching legal challenges and conditioning federal grants.
To learn about the latest policy issues up in Albany and down in City Hall, we asked Tech:NYC’s Director of Government Relations, Alex Spyropoulos, for a quick update on the state of play as we near the end of the year:
🗽 On the current tech policy climate in New York and what’s driving the most activity:
New York is at a pivotal moment, with an opportunity to shape AI policy that encourages innovation while putting in place thoughtful, commonsense guardrails.
The state’s tech ecosystem has expanded rapidly over the past five years — not just in new startups and growing companies, but also in how deeply tech is integrated into core industries like finance, media, and real estate — bringing valuable, diverse perspectives to AI policy discussions.
📄 On upcoming state or city bills that the tech community should be paying attention to:
It’s still early to predict which state or city bills will dominate attention in 2026, but a few dynamics are worth watching.
Active pushes for a moratorium on state AI bills — and broader attempts to sideline state action — could quickly reshape New York’s willingness to regulate, just as we saw earlier this year.
Watch also for AI literacy and education activity that supports the need for all New Yorkers to understand and use AI, which Tech:NYC will also be heavily focusing on as the emerging technology continues to evolve and expand.
🤖 On a recent success story in NY tech policy:
Empire AI has been a first-of-its-kind success. With support from Governor Hochul, the State Legislature, and philanthropic partners, New York has created an unparalleled resource that gives academic researchers access to an AI supercomputer, boosting statewide innovation, research, and development of AI technologies.
It’s a strong example of how public-private partnerships can drive innovation and position New York as a leader in AI.
🙌 On how the RAISE Act (imposing certain requirements on the development of AI models in an effort to try and tackle safety concerns) will change the competitive landscape — both domestically and globally — for innovation and entrepreneurship:
If adopted as written, the RAISE Act would make New York an outlier in AI regulation, creating challenges for both frontier model developers and startups, and likely slowing the state’s AI growth.
Fortunately, there’s an opportunity to work with the Governor and sponsors on a more balanced approach by year end — ideally landing on an amended version that aligns with efforts like California’s SB 53 and can earn broad support.
Have a tech policy question? Reach out to Alex here.
In other reading:
Nvidia’s record $57 billion revenue and upbeat forecast quiets AI bubble talk (TechCrunch)
Wikipedia cracks the code on spotting AI writing (The Tech Buzz)
In the AI race, Chinese talent still drives American research (New York Times)
Arbiter, an NYC-based platform designed to connect health care patients, providers, and payers in one place, raised $52 million in funding. TriEdge Investment and MFO Ventures led the round and were joined by WindRose Health Investors and others.
Deduction, an NYC-based developer of an AI-powered tax accountant, raised $2.8 million in pre-seed funding. One Way Ventures and Creator Ventures led the round and were joined by Alpine VC, Intuition, Charley Moore, and angel investors.
November 25: TechTable by Vention: NYC, a chance to connect with top tech leaders and innovators, expand your network, and discuss industry news and trends. Register here.
December 1: NYC VC Early Stage Investors Dinner, an intimate dinner with fellow NYC VC investors — connect over good food and meaningful conversation. Register here.
December 2: NYC FinTech Breakfast: Innovation & Market Entry, bringing together founders, investors, and ecosystem partners at the intersection of fintech innovation and U.S. market entry. Register here.
December 2: The Future of DevRel with Abby Mitchell, an interactive roundtable with Meta’s Abby Mitchell exploring the evolving landscape of developer relations and technical community building. Register here.
December 2: The Element 46 Accelerator’s Fall Cohort Demo Day, where you can hear directly from the 10 startups selected for the fall 2025 cohort and engage with other members of the Westchester entrepreneurial community, including founders, advisors, mentors, and investors. Register here.
December 4: NYC Tech Networking: Coffee & Career Transitions, for tech professionals actively on the hunt for their next opportunity. Register here.
December 4: The SEEN Summit, the ultimate gathering for NYC-based founders, investors, and advocates of diverse-led teams, designed to foster networking, collaboration, and growth. Register here.
December 4: H-1Bs: Who Wins and Who Loses? A lively, high-stakes debate between a Rutgers professor and the Executive Director of an immigration think-tank on whether H1Bs and other non-immigration visas help American innovation more than they hurt American labor. Register here.
December 8: All Tech Is Human's Responsible Tech Mixer, where ATIH community members will come together to reflect on the year's achievements and celebrate what's ahead. Register here.
December 9: Tech Ladies NYC Meetup, a night of thoughtful connections and inspirational programming with other women in tech. Register here.
December 9-10: 2025 NYC Employment and Training Coalition Conference, bringing together the city’s premier policymakers, practitioners, and leaders, including Tech:NYC’s Julie Samuels, to focus on career pathways, emerging industries, and the vital link between workforce and economic development. Register here.
December 10: AI Security Fireside Dinner, designed specifically for executive-level peers who are leading technical, security, or AI strategy in their organizations. Register here.
December 10-11: The AI Summit New York, a platform for enterprise leaders and tech innovators to explore and apply commercial AI, featuring Flybidge’s Jesse Middleton, NYCEDC’s Jonathan Schulhof, and Tech:NYC’s Julie Samuels discussing NYC’s startup ecosystem. Register here.
December 11: The Future of Applied AI in Finance and Banking, an annual one-day, invite-only conference blending elements of TEDx, Foo Camp, and Summit to bring senior managers, C-suite executives, and top AI/ML researchers together for curated sessions on applying the latest technology to problems in finance, banking, and insurance. Register here.
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