Andrew Rasiej calls for NYC AI literacy campaign and public AI infrastructure
Andrew Rasiej, founder of Civic Hall, describes a 'new digital divide' between people who understand AI and those it happens to. He calls for a citywide free AI literacy campaign and public-good AI infrastructure with sovereign computing power separate from the major AI companies.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Chair De La Rosa and members of the City Council.
My name is Andrew Richet.
Nearly 30 years ago, I founded Mouse.org to bring the internet to New York City public schools.
More recently, I founded Civic Hall at Union Square, the city's largest digital skills training center serving underestimated New Yorkers.
New Yorkers are scared by the reports that some AI models evaded human control.
I understand why.
But most people can't tell you how a chatbot works, what it does with their data, or how a deepfake gets made.
They know enough to be alarmed, but not enough to protect themselves.
And that's the new digital divide.
People who understand AI on one side and people it happens to on the other.
I'm asking the council to act on two fronts.
First, pass legislation requiring the city to launch a free AI literacy campaign for every New Yorker.
Teach people how to protect their jobs.
AI won't take your job.
A person who knows how to use AI will.
Teach families that when grandma gets a call from her grandson's voice asking for money, it may not be him.
And help small businesses because AI has made phishing and fraud cheaper and more convincing, and the corner store isn't ready.
Finland built a free public course for more than 2 million people, which more than 2 million people have taken, and it's reached 170 countries.
During COVID, the city reached every resident.
We can do it again.
Fear of AI is not a substitute for comprehension.
Second, the only real way to stop bad AI is to build good AI.
Right now, it's being built by a handful of companies answerable to their shareholders.
The organizations responsible for the public good are nonprofits, community groups, and city agencies are years behind.
Most can't afford the computing power, and their staff haven't been trained to use these tools.
When the big AI companies offer nonprofits free computing power, it comes on their terms, with the organization's data sitting on their servers.
Public good AI needs sovereign computing power separate from the companies whose business depends on gathering data.
I helped start the foundation for Civic Eye, which offers a supercomputer to the public interest at no cost.
Few of them have the staff who know how to use it, so investing in public AI infrastructure is a mission that this council should take up.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.