A former researcher at artificial intelligence company Anthropic has agreed to testify at a New York City Council hearing on AI regulation. Jacob Coxon quit Anthropic last month and publicly warned that people working on AI believe it could pose serious risks, and accused his former employer and competitor OpenAI of taking excessive risks with the technology. He will appear at the request of New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who has been inviting AI researchers and experts to speak as the city considers new laws to establish safeguards around AI systems.
Why it matters
For families and students in Singapore and Hong Kong, this hearing reflects growing global concern about how AI is developed and deployed. Regulators worldwide are beginning to ask harder questions about whether AI companies are taking adequate steps to ensure their systems are safe and beneficial. While New York's actions may seem distant, they often set a pattern that other governments and cities follow. As AI tools become more common in schools and workplaces across Asia, the question of whether companies are building these systems responsibly becomes relevant to parents deciding how their children should engage with AI, and to schools considering which tools to adopt in classrooms. The hearing also signals that expertise from inside AI companies—like Coxon's perspective—is now being sought by policymakers when they make decisions about regulation.
What to do
- Monitor how your child's school is introducing AI tools. Ask whether the school has considered potential risks and is using AI in ways that complement rather than replace core learning.
- Stay informed about AI regulation developments in Singapore and Hong Kong by following local education and technology news, as regulatory approaches in other jurisdictions often influence policy at home.
- Encourage critical thinking in your child about AI: teach them to ask who built a particular AI system, what its intended purpose is, and what its limitations might be.