Matt Henning of TechNYC on supporting bills 2129 and 2130 with recommendations

Good afternoon, Chair De La Rosa and Chair Denowitz.

My name is Matt Henning, and I'm the director.

Director of Government Affairs at TechNYC.

TechNYC represents hundreds of companies, from global tech leaders to startups, that are deeply committed to the advancements of the tech sector in New York City and supporting the city's public schools.

I'm pleased to testify today on pre-intro 2129 and 2130.

TechNYC does not believe New York City's children should be treated as test subjects, and new technology should not be deployed without oversight, clear policies, or transparency.

But we are equally concerned about the risk of failing to prepare the next generation for a world where AI tools are pervasive.

Without thoughtful guidance from trusted institutions, students will engage with AI entirely on their own terms, not unlike what happened with social media.

The answer is not to choose between adoption and a prohibition, but to build a transparent, accountable framework that earns the confidence of families and educators.

That is precisely why we support the intent and goal of both of these bills.

However, TechNYC does have a few recommendations to further improve these bills.

First, the definition of algorithmic tool in 2129 is broad, and we'd encourage the council to consider

whether additional clarity would help DOE and vendors focus on compliance resources and tools that genuinely implicate the concerns motivating these bills.

Second, these bills layer new requirements on top of existing Office of Algorithmic Accountability and IRMA framework.

Implementation guidance should make clear how they coordinate to avoid duplication.

Last, on 2130, the first quarterly brief reporting deadline of October 31st is a fast-moving timeline, and we encourage the Council to work with DOE to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place.

Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony, and thank you.