Mayor Adams and the city’s Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Andrew Kimball have announced a partnership with OpenAI and a plan is allocate $3 million in funds to position the Big Apple as the premier applied artificial intelligence capital of the world.
The Mayor’s Office said OpenAI, the San Francisco-based firm behind the ChatGPT chatbot, has opened its first East Coast office at the Puck Building in Manhattan with 450 employees.
“The jobs of tomorrow are being created today in New York City, and artificial intelligence is key to making that happen,” said Mayor Adams in a Jan. 31 statement. “As we hit another all-time record high for jobs in our city, our administration is looking to the future — and the future shows AI as the next emerging sector and source of job creation across our city, the country, and the globe.”
The AI firm will also serve on the AI Advisory Council and support several programs, including NYC AI Nexus and NYCEDC’s Founder Fellowship, an initiative to improve access to capital and networks for underrepresented founders across all tech-enabled sectors. To learn more about the fellowship, go online to shorturl.at/ZdNUG.
The NYC AI Nexus plan includes 18 commitments based on a series of findings, recommendations and proposed actions to unlock the city’s AI potential as a means to drive economic growth and develop a diverse workforce to power the future of the five boroughs.
The Nexus initiative will facilitate collaborations among city-based startup founders and area businesses to identify, build and ultimately adopt applied AI solutions to ensure the competitiveness of the city’s diverse set of industries.
The EDC has released a request for proposals for Nexus. Interested firms can learn more at edc.nyc/rfps.
“The five boroughs are leaping at the opportunity to be the global leader in AI, partnering with the leading AI company, releasing a first-of-its-kind report, and investing millions in the future,” Adams continued. “From tech and the green economy to life sciences and AI, the Big Apple, not Silicon Valley, is the city leading the way on the jobs that will make our city the best place to raise a family.”
Some of the commitments include promoting the city as a leading hub for AI innovation, piloting an AI literacy program at public libraries, connecting CUNY students with internship opportunities at AI startups and launching an AI Advisory Council in partnership with Tech:NYC, consisting of AI leaders and investors. Ambassadors of the council will advise the Adams’ administration on initiatives to ensure the technology supports the growth of the city’s economy across sectors and businesses, big and small.
Tech:NYC is a nonprofit representing technology companies and innovation-friendly policies, according to its website.
AI and technology literacy are more important than ever before, said Assemblyman Clyde Vanel (D-Queens Village), chair of the Subcommitee on Internet and New Technology in the state Assembly.
“In this rapidly evolving digital age, children and adults alike will increasingly find themselves having to keep pace with the latest technological advancements,” Vanel said via email. “And with AI, the speed at which these new advancements will occur will only increase.”
Vanel, a futurist who weighs AI’s pros and cons, said the borough is home to numerous tech startups that can benefit from it.
“For example, the Queens Chamber of Commerce Tech Incubator and Greater Nexus in Jamaica all are home to Queens-based startups that can and should use these tools,” he said. “We look forward to working with the City to make sure that Queens, and New York City generally, cements itself as a global hub for the technology of the future.”
Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, said the organization welcomes the city’s investment in AI and emerging technology.
“Thanks to our borough’s rich diversity, world-class universities, and strong transportation infrastructure, we are well positioned to benefit from this investment — tech companies and workers want to be in Queens,” said Grech via email. “Through initiatives like the Queens Tech Council and the Queens Tech Incubator Program, the Chamber has been working to lay the groundwork to make Queens a leader in the tech sector. Our incubators are home to cutting-edge companies — 70 percent of which are Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises — and we are working to expand opportunities for startups and tech talent in our borough.”
Last year, the chamber launched the Queens Innovation Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the growth of tech businesses in Queens, with a vision of establishing the borough as the epicenter of AI-driven startups, emerging tech and innovation, said Grech.
“AI is transforming industries across the globe, and with strategic investment, Queens can become a hub for AI-powered innovation,” Grech said. “We look forward to working with the city to ensure these investments create opportunities for businesses and workers alike.”