Hiring Robots, Weed, Pay: New NYC Laws Taking Effect In 2023

NEW YORK CITY — New York City is poised to fight against artificial intelligence in 2023. Really.

No, this isn’t the “Terminator” and City Council members aren’t battling Skynet (yet). But among the laws they passed in 2022 was a limit on how employers can use so-called “automated employment decision tools” such as AI and machine learning.

The bill requires bias audits to be conducted on such hiring tools and transparency from employers who rely on them.

Before New Yorkers can say “we live in the future,” there’s a caveat — the law was set to take effect New Year’s Day but enforcement has been delayed until the spring.

“Due to the high volume of public comments, we are planning a second public hearing,” the city’s Consumer and Worker Protection department site states. “In the meantime, we will not enforce Local Law 144 until April 15, 2023.”

Not all new(-ish) laws that New Yorkers will see in 2023 are as dystopian-sounding.

Legal marijuana has technically been on New York’s books since 2021, but city dwellers will finally see it come into full bloom in 2023.

The first (legal) dispensary in the state opened Dec. 29 in Greenwich Village. From there, more and more will pop up across the city and state as fast as applications are approved and pot shop owners can open them.

Another major law that’ll affect New Yorkers technically took effect in 2022, but its full impact likely will be felt in the coming year: pay transparency.

Starting Nov. 1, employers in the city were required to provide a salary range for every posted job.

“Employers must state the minimum and maximum salary they in good faith believe at the time of the posting they are willing to pay for the advertised job, promotion, or transfer opportunity,” the law’s guidance states.

A similar law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul will take effect across New York State.