By
Marcia Kramer
Marcia Kramer
Marcia Kramer joined CBS News New York in 1990 as an investigative and political reporter. Prior to CBS2, she was the City Hall bureau chief at the New York Daily News.
/ CBS New York
Assemblyman Alex Bores has a master's degree in computer science, but for some reason tech titans are trying to stop his campaign to replace retiring Rep. Jerrold Nadler in New York's 12th Congressional District.
Why this is the case became apparent as Bores spoke about his candidacy and his views on artificial intelligence on "The Point with Marcia Kramer" on Sunday.
The RAISE ACT
Bores, along with state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, is a co-author of the Responsible AI Safety and Education Act in New York. Of the 30 bills he has had passed in the Assembly, the RAISE Act is his most widely recognized and significant piece of legislation.
Signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, the law imposes strict transparency, safety, and reporting requirements.
"AI is a big topic and there is a lot to do. The RAISE Act was just one small piece of it, but it was focused on catastrophic risks, on things that can go really wrong with AI -- helping to build a bioweapon, losing control of artificial intelligence," Bores said.
Assuaging fears about AI
Kramer told Bores she read a recent poll which revealed that people are worried about AI, specifically surveillance, job loss, and deepfakes.
"One of my hot takes on AI is actually that deepfakes are an incredibly solvable problem. We just have to do it," Bores said.
That, of course, begs the question, how?
"There is a free, open source, industry-created technology, actually, called C2PA, that if attached to any piece of content can prove whether it was taken from a real device or generated by AI," Bores said. "The only problem is no one is using it."
Bores said C2PA needs to be a default option on all devices, but more importantly there needs to be elected officials in place to encourage the use of the technology.
As for AI taking away jobs, Bores said, "It's a real concern. This is the first technology ever in which the people who are building it have said their goal is to build something that can replace all human labor. It doesn't mean that it will succeed, but it means we have to take it seriously."
Bores said he has put forward proposals that shift the tax codes so that laying people off to invest in AI isn't incentivized, and he has called for an AI dividend in which the public would benefit from AI's developed wealth by taxing it.
He also addressed AI's role in education, saying perhaps the technology should be used as a supplement down the road, not as a replacement for teachers.
"This is something that we need people in office that are actually really thinking of the implications of the privacy for their kids, of the long-term learning of their kids, and aren't willing to just be blown away and whizzed by all the AI that is out there," Bores said.
It's no secret that running AI requires a lot of power. Bores said it's imperative AI companies "bring their own green energy in anything they build," meaning those companies use solar and wind to power their AI. He admits President Trump is against such green initiatives, but "that's why we need a Congress that is willing to stand up to him."
12th District Race filled with names and notable endorsements
Bores is running against a handful of candidates with endorsements from people with serious name recognition. Micah Lasher, for example, has the backing of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Jack Schlossberg, a member of the Kennedy family, has been endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; and George Conway is known for mixing it up with President Trump.
How can Bores compete?
"I have my record and I have the people. I'm proud to be ranked by the Center for Effective Lawmaking as the most effective legislator," Bores said, later adding, "I have been the choice of working people. I have been endorsed by the state AFL-CIO, the federation of labor unions. I have 10 unions on my side. I think the rest of the field has two. The people that make New York City run day in and day out work here, live here, they're with me."
Kramer pointed out that a recent AARP poll suggests older voters will decide who wins in the 12th District, which covers a large swath of Manhattan, including all of Midtown. Bores, who is 35, was asked how he relates to baby boomers.
"I talk about my record and I talk about standing up for them," Bores said, emphasizing his stances on Social Security and tax breaks for aging seniors. "My favorite stops to make in the district are the senior centers and having real conversations about safety on the streets and being able to live and having their family close to them. It's an extremely important voice and constituency."
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