The New York City Council questioned four AI companies under oath on Monday, October 5, in a hearing on AI risks. Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Meta each sent one policy or safety expert. SpaceXAI did not attend despite a subpoena, and the Council plans court action.
New to this? Read it in simple words
- New York City lawmakers asked four AI companies about the dangers of AI.
- The companies answered under oath, but sent experts, not their bosses.
- SpaceXAI did not come, so the city plans to go to court.
- The city is looking at 10 bills, but none was voted on.
- Under oath
- After a formal promise to tell the truth, with legal penalties for lying.
- Subpoena
- A legal order that makes someone appear or hand over information.
- Kill switch
- A way for a human to stop an AI system quickly.
Who came
Anthropic sent Logan Graham, the head of its Frontier Red Team, UPI and Quartz report. OpenAI sent Morgan Dwyer, its head of policy development and operations.
Google sent Alice Friend, its director of AI and emerging tech policy, and Meta sent Shane Cahill, its AI policy director for legislation. The Google and Meta witnesses spoke by video, the Associated Press reports.
Most of the labs agreed to appear only after the Speaker approved subpoenas, Quartz reports. Meta agreed without that pressure, according to Quartz.
From UPI, Quartz, the AP and CBS New York.
What was said
Graham called for “smart regulation”. He said AI “is powerful enough that getting this wrong has real consequences,” according to the AP.
“I share your commitment to ensuring that technology is developed safely and that its benefits are widely shared,” Dwyer said, the AP reports.
Speaker Julie Menin pressed the companies to put a number on the risk of a catastrophe. When Dwyer gave no percentage, Menin called the answer “flippant at best,” the AP reports.
Jacob Coxon, a researcher who left Anthropic last month, also testified. He said the idea of moving fast and fixing things later “does not work for building the most powerful technology ever built,” according to the AP.
SpaceXAI and what comes next
SpaceXAI, Elon Musk’s AI company, was the only one invited that did not attend. CBS New York reports that it sent a letter saying it was willing to cooperate, but declined to take part.
Menin said SpaceXAI is in “direct violation of the subpoena,” UPI reports. Quartz says the Council is ready to ask the New York State Supreme Court to enforce it.
The Council is considering 10 bills on AI, CBS New York reports. They include a human “kill switch”, outside checks before AI systems are sold, and rewards for whistleblowers. A hearing does not pass laws, and no vote was held.
Sources
Every fact in this story comes from the sources below. Open them to check our work.
- 1Primary source · September 28, 2026New York City Council Announces Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and Meta to Publicly Testify Under Oath New York City Council
- 2Research · October 5, 2026AI industry insiders voice alarms to NYC council as local governments take up safety concerns Associated Press, via WSLS
- 3
- 4
- 5Research · October 5, 2026OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta testify at NYC AI hearing Quartz, via Yahoo News
The witnesses’ words come from the AP’s report of the hearing. Outlets differ on which labs first refused to come, so we give Quartz’s account and credit it.
A city hearing questioned four AI labs under oath, but no bill was voted on and nothing was decided. How we rate the mood