Freelance political reporter Ross Barkan did not rob a bank. He did something that may look almost quaint in an age of deepfakes, chatbots and AI-generated sludge.

He took other people’s words.

In August, New York Magazine cut ties with Barkan after an independent review found that 67 of his columns lacked proper attribution of language, information or sourcing.

Everything online begins to feel available. Copy. Paste. Post. But journalism cannot operate by the rules of the feed. A journalist’s byline is not a producer credit. It is a promise: I did this reporting. I wrote these words. I checked these facts. And I am accountable if they are wrong.

Happy Monday in New York City, where the eyes of the AI world are concentrated today for a landmark hearing on AI safety.

All 51 members of the City Council will interrogate a number of executives in leading AI companies today about their plans to curb dangerous and unpredictable development, as well as a few high-profile whistleblowers who have come forward in the past few weeks to raise the alarm. Among the executives set to testify are Alice Friend of Google, Shane Cahill of Meta, Logan Graham of Anthropic and Morgan Dwyer of OpenAI.

According to Council Speaker Julie Menin, the testimony will help guide New York lawmakers in crafting legislation to protect the public from rapid AI proliferation in the city. One of the bills under consideration would mandate a kill switch be installed in all AI systems.

“New York City has been a global tech hub, and being pro-safety doesn’t mean we are anti-innovation — but it is our duty as representatives in a legislative body to ask questions and institute guardrails where necessary to protect New Yorkers,” Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa told Playbook.

Menin has also unveiled 9 other bills aimed at containing AI and protecting whistleblowers, including a piece of legislation that would award a share of the fines collected from AI companies to whistleblowers. “Whistleblowers are why the world learned of the potential dangers of AI, and they deserve to be protected, rewarded, and heard,” Menin said in a statement yesterday.

AI safety is the hottest theme in tech these days. But before AI takes over the world, let’s see if it can make it through City Hall.

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The 60th Ragamuffin Parade saw children dress up in their favorite most creative costumes and march along Third Avenue with music and community pride.

The parade was originally scheduled to take place Sept. 26 but was pushed to Oct. 3 due to a nor’easter. The decision was a good one as attendance was huge and spirits were high.

“The parade is such a wonderful tradition,” said Allison Greaker, president of the Bay Ridge Children’s Ragamuffin Parade Committee. “We can’t thank the community enough for their support. The weather was perfect. Everyone came out to celebrate with us. We are a small town with a big heart. We can’t wait to see more costumes at the Fifth Avenue Bid’s Trunk-or-Treat.”

Read on to learn more and see our slideshow of the parade.

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