New York Lawmakers Pass Bill Requiring Labels and Human Review for AI-Generated News

New York lawmakers have passed the NY FAIR News Act, a bill that would require news outlets to clearly disclose when published content is substantially created with generative artificial intelligence and to subject that material to human editorial review before publication.

The measure, formally titled the New York Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Requirements in News Act, cleared the state Senate and Assembly last week. But it is not yet law. The Senate passed S.8451B on June 4 by a vote of 53-7, with one lawmaker absent and two excused, and the Assembly passed companion bill A.8962 on June 5. As of June 8, the Legislature’s official record showed the bill had passed both chambers but did not show that it had been delivered to Gov. Kathy Hochul or signed.

If enacted, the bill would add a new Article 48 to New York’s General Business Law, the state statute that governs a range of business practices. Under the bill text, any news media content “substantially composed, authored, or otherwise created” using generative AI would need a conspicuous disclosure. That disclosure would have to appear at the top of a page or webpage, on the relevant image, graphic, video or other visual or audiovisual content, or be spoken at the start of audio content.

The legislation also would require review by a human with editorial control before AI-created news content could be published. Enforcement would fall to the New York attorney general through a special proceeding, with civil penalties set at $1,000 for a first offense and $5,000 for each later offense. If signed, the measure would take effect on the 60th day after it becomes law.

The bill is narrower than a blanket AI-labeling rule for all newsroom technology use. Its disclosure requirement applies when content is substantially created by generative AI, not whenever AI tools are used in any way. The bill also includes an exception saying the disclosure rule does not apply if the material is eligible for copyright registration.

That focus makes the measure stand out in the broader state policy debate around AI. Many state laws and proposals on AI labeling have centered on political advertising, election misinformation or deepfakes. New York’s bill is aimed specifically at news media and newsroom publishing practices, reflecting growing concern over how generative AI could affect journalism and public trust.

That concern carries extra weight in New York, a major hub of the U.S. news industry. Sponsors have framed the bill as both a transparency measure for readers and a protection for journalism workers as AI use expands in newsrooms. Supporters listed in sponsor materials include SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America East, the Directors Guild of America, the NewsGuild of New York and the New York State AFL-CIO. SAG-AFTRA celebrated the bill’s passage in a June 8 Bluesky post.

The lead sponsors are state Sen. Patricia Fahy and Assemblymember Nily Rozic. In a Feb. 2 Senate press release, Fahy said, “Perhaps one of the industries at most risk from the use of artificial intelligence is journalism and as a result, the public’s trust and confidence in accurate news reporting.” Rozic said in the same release, “At the center of the news industry, New York has a strong interest in preserving journalism and protecting the workers who produce it.”

The next step is gubernatorial action. Based on the legislative record available as of June 8, that had not yet occurred.