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🚖 AI meets the world of work: New York as the AI laboratory of the future

  • Writer: Ralph Schwehr
    Ralph Schwehr
  • Sep 10
  • 4 min read

Dear readers,

I am writing today directly from New York City , a city that, as we all know, never sleeps and is currently transforming into a living laboratory for the future of artificial intelligence .

Between the glittering facades of Manhattan and the data centers in New York State, a showcase is emerging for how technology is reorganizing our working world, mobility, and society.

This is particularly evident in the streets themselves: For the first time, Waymo vehicles are being allowed to conduct autonomous test drives here. Robotaxis are now operating without human intervention in the midst of the chaotic, dense traffic of Manhattan. In San Francisco and LA, this is fine for me personally because of the "relaxed" traffic, but NYC – wow. What's being tested here is more than a technical experiment: It's a social negotiation process. How safe do we feel when machines take over the wheel amidst chaos? What rules are needed when algorithms decide on speed, distances, and ultimately safety?


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For me, this trip is more than just a professional insight; it's a hands-on encounter with the future. My thanks go to all the friends and colleagues in the US who opened the doors to Big Tech for me and shared their visions. Anyone experiencing New York these days senses that this isn't just about efficiency or growth, but about how we shape technology in a humane, fair, and responsible way—for the society of tomorrow. 🌍✨


🚗 Waymo: Robotaxis conquer Manhattan

Waymo is permitted to test in New York City for the first time —a milestone, as Manhattan is one of the most complex urban environments in the world. Traffic jams, cyclists, pedestrian flows—here, AI must prove it can replace human intuition. The signal will extend far beyond NYC: if the test is successful here, it will open the door to urban robotaxi models worldwide.


🖥️ Empire AI: Supercomputer & open computing time

The governor herself was in Buffalo to see the progress being made on the state-funded Empire AI supercomputer . With its enormous computing power, it is designed to boost research and startups in the state. The call for proposals for universities and projects seeking computing time is open until September 17th – a real magnet for the academic community.


📉 NY Fed: AI slows down new hiring

The New York Fed has released new data: layoffs due to AI have been rare so far. However, many companies are slowing down their hiring, especially in academic and administrative roles. For HR teams, this means less recruiting and more focus on skill transformation and training of existing employees.


🤖 Radancy & Predoc: AI in Recruiting and Health

Two highlights from NYC:

  • Radancy acquires myInterview and integrates AI agents into application processes. The goal: faster, fairer, and more cost-effective hiring decisions.

  • Predoc secures $30 million in funding to develop AI-powered patient records, making health AI one of the most dynamic fields in the New York ecosystem.


⚖️ Regulation: The RAISE Act is waiting

The RAISE Act , New York's ambitious initiative to regulate frontier AI, is pending Governor Hochul's decision. If signed into law, it would require large AI labs to submit audits, safety protocols, and incident reports —a step that could set national standards and likely fuel the global debate on AI safety .


⚖️ Legal dispute: NYT v. OpenAI

At the same time, the New York Times v. OpenAI & Microsoft lawsuit is keeping the industry on edge. At its core is the release of chat logs, which could be crucial for training records. The SDNY proceedings are more than an isolated case; they could define how copyright, transparency, and AI training will be legally assessed in the future.


🧠 OpenAI: Focus on “Personality”

OpenAI itself is also making headlines: The company is reorganizing its research team working on ChatGPT's "personality." The goal is to make interactions more personalized, context-sensitive, and, in the long run, more trustworthy. For the market, this represents a step toward customized AI assistants that no longer function as tools, but rather as digital companions .


🔍 Apple: AI search engine for Siri

A Bloomberg report is causing a stir beyond NYC: Apple is planning its own AI search engine for Siri, launching in 2026. This puts Cupertino directly in contention with Google and OpenAI. This could mean enormous shifts for the New York adtech and search ecosystem —new partnerships, new markets, but also new displacement effects.


✅ Key messages

  • Waymo is testing robotaxis for the first time in New York City, a symbol of the urban AI future.

  • Empire AI opens supercomputer resources for research and startups (deadline: September 17).

  • NY Fed : Companies slow down hiring, HR needs to rethink skills.

  • Radancy integrates AI agents into recruiting, Predoc advances health AI.

  • RAISE Act could set new standards for frontier AI.

  • NYT v. OpenAI sets a precedent for copyright and AI.

  • OpenAI rebuilds team for ChatGPT personality.

  • Apple plans AI search engine – a direct attack on Google & OpenAI.


📚 Sources

🎯 Conclusion

New York demonstrates how the major AI strands of our time are unfolding simultaneously: robotaxis, supercomputers, labor markets, regulations, and global platform battles. All condensed into one week, in one city.


👉 What does this mean for your company? Now is the time to develop a future-proof AI strategy , with clear governance, bold innovations, and a focus on humanity. Let's work together on how you can harness this momentum before others write the rules. Yours, Ralph


 
 
 

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