City Hall and the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced new initiatives Friday, designed to make the five boroughs a leader in artificial intelligence.

“There’s a spontaneous magic born of a very unique set of cultures, of people, of ideas, and it only happens here and that’s why the future of AI, of generative AI, of applied AI here in New York, I think is especially bright,” Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer said.

What You Need To Know

  • City Hall and the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced new initiatives Friday, designed to make the five boroughs a leader in artificial intelligence

  • The city has announced it’s ready to pay a company — still to be chosen — to establish a collaboration between AI startups and local businesses and industries to use the technology as a tool to foster growth and development

  • The Economic Development Corporation says the request for companies to submit proposals for that $3 million contract will close on April 2
  • A report released by the EDC finds the city is already a leader in AI

The city has announced it’s ready to pay a company — still to be chosen — to establish a collaboration between AI startups and local businesses and industries to use the technology as a tool to foster growth and development.

The proposal aims to:

  • Launch a campaign to promote New York City as a hub for applied AI
  • Create and launch an AI advisory council
  • Pilot AI literacy programs in public libraries
  • Promote CUNY internships at AI-first startups

“We’re looking for an operator, that will help up to 75 New York City-based AI startups, to team up with five different legacy industries to develop AI-specific tools to help those industries remain competitive for decades to come and create real life solutions to their business problems,” NYCEDC Chief Strategy Officer Cecilia Kushner said.”

A report released by the EDC finds the city is already a leader in AI.

“We are already an applied AI powerhouse. Over 40,000 AI workers are in the region. 1,200 active investors and over 2,000 AI startups, including 35 unicorns, already call New York City home,” Kushner said.

A unicorn is a startup valued at more than $1 billion. Despite criticism, officials say artificial intelligence is already a great tool in industries like climate change and health sciences.

“In health care, AI is already being used to help with diagnostics — the ability to look at x-rays or data — and much more quickly be able to make a diagnosis much earlier than we’ve historically seen. That impacts life spans, that impacts your health,” Open AI Chief Policy Officer Chris Lehane said.

The Economic Development Corporation says the request for companies to submit proposals for that $3 million contract will close on April 2 and it hopes to select an operator by the end of the year. developing the project.