Lawmakers in New York have proposed a new bill that would make it illegal to mount weapons to robots or drones. That is of course, unless the people operating those weaponized machines happen to work with law enforcement or the military. If passed, the Responsible Robotics Act would make New York the first state to ban weaponized robots for civilians, at a time when government spending on autonomous and semi-autonomous police technology is on the rise. The bill specifically bans the sale, transfer, modification, operation, or equipping of robots or drones with mounted weapons. Prohibited weapons include firearms, stun guns, chemical agents, lasers, and explosives.

A first-of-its-kind law in New York City aims to make the use of AI in hiring and promotion both clearer and fairer. New York's Local Law 144, which goes into effect on 5 July, requires employers to get an independent audit of their automated employment decision tools to ensure that they do not demonstrate significant bias based on sex, race or ethnicity – though it does not cover discrimination based on factors such as …