Jacob Coxon, a former researcher at Anthropic who resigned last month warning that increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems could become uncontrollable, will testify under oath at a New York City Council hearing this Monday. The appearance was requested by Council Speaker Julie Menin, Bloomberg reported.
Participants
The hearing will bring together industry figures and some of the sector's most prominent critics. Invited participants include:
- Jacob Coxon (former Anthropic researcher)
- Alex Turner (former Google DeepMind researcher)
- Daniel Kokotajlo (director of the AI Futures Project and former OpenAI employee)
Representatives from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Meta will also attend; each of the four major AI companies is sending policy and safety leads. Anthropic, OpenAI and Google agreed to appear after Menin's office threatened subpoenas, while Meta had already committed to participating. SpaceX's AI division received an official subpoena after failing to respond to the council's inquiries.
Issues on the agenda
The hearing is part of New York's effort to consider a local legislative package intended to establish safeguards for artificial intelligence. Several concrete proposals will be discussed:
- A bill that would direct a portion of fines collected from AI companies to whistleblowers who report abuses.
- A proposal enabling individuals harmed by AI systems to sue developers in certain cases.
- A measure requiring independent, third‑party validation of some systems before they are deployed in New York.
These local measures are framed as part of a broader initiative by New York officials to play a more active role in regulating the AI industry, even as many regulatory authorities remain at the federal or state level.
Why this matters
The hearing is noteworthy because it assembles former insiders who have voiced strong concerns about AI alongside company representatives, while policymakers consider tangible regulatory tools. Coxon's public criticisms targeted the competitive dynamics of building more powerful AI systems and accused his former employer and OpenAI of playing recklessly with public safety; the council's hearing reflects growing local concern about those risks.
Outcomes from this hearing could shape which local regulations New York adopts around the deployment and oversight of AI applications.
This article is based on reporting by Bloomberg. The cover image is illustrative. An AI assistant contributed to preparing this article; the final content was edited and verified by our journalist.
