New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called for artificial intelligence to be regulated “at every single level,” delivering a direct warning about a technology whose own creators have publicly raised the possibility of catastrophic consequences.

Mamdani addressed artificial intelligence during a press conference Monday. The event also included his announcement that more than 10,000 children from low income families would be moved off the city’s free child care waitlist.

His remarks on artificial intelligence focused on the striking warnings associated with the technology and the need for a political response that does not treat those concerns as merely another temporary controversy.

“You have some of the leaders of the creation of this technology saying that there’s a 10% chance that humanity could come to an end as a result of this,” Mamdani said.

That warning formed the sharpest part of Mamdani’s case for regulation. Rather than dismissing such language as routine speculation, he argued that statements of that magnitude require officials to take the risks seriously.

Mamdani also referred to claims by companies that they had experienced something comparable to the Hugging Face incident. He placed those assertions alongside the warnings from technology leaders as reasons for a response extending beyond ordinary political conversation.

“I think when that kind of language is par for the course, when companies are asserting that each of them has faced something similar to the Hugging Face incident, it does demand a level of response that goes beyond just the political topic of the day.”

Mamdani did not limit his argument to one particular branch or layer of government. His prescription was sweeping, reflecting his view that the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence require action across the board.

He added, “I think that there has to be regulation of this technology at every single level.”

The statement was concise, but its scope was unmistakable. Mamdani was not calling for artificial intelligence to be handled solely through speeches, voluntary corporate promises, or a passing round of political attention.

His remarks contrasted with President Donald Trump’s approach to artificial intelligence. Trump has claimed that he is the only person who can regulate the technology, though he has yet to impose the regulation he says only he can deliver.

Instead, Trump has concentrated on rebranding artificial intelligence as “super intelligence.” That choice offers a new label, but the source describes no corresponding regulatory action from the president.

The contrast is difficult to miss. Mamdani is publicly calling for regulation at every level while Trump has paired a claim of exclusive authority with an apparent preference for marketing language over actual rules.

Mamdani’s comments also stood out because he repeated the warnings coming from within the technology’s own leadership. A stated 10% chance of humanity ending is not exactly the sort of forecast that responsible officials should file under harmless Silicon Valley chatter.

Trump’s rebranding effort, meanwhile, received a considerably less reverent assessment. Considering Trump’s understanding of “intelligence,” perhaps the phrase “super intelligence” was inspired by his amazement that a phone could spell “O-R-E-O.”

Mamdani’s position was straightforward: warnings of catastrophic danger and company claims about troubling incidents demand more than another fleeting political debate. His answer is regulation throughout every level capable of responding to the technology.

The Monday press conference therefore carried two policy developments. Mamdani announced movement for more than 10,000 children waiting for free child care while also pressing government officials to confront the risks being described around artificial intelligence.

For Mamdani, the extraordinary language surrounding artificial intelligence is itself a reason to act. When technology leaders discuss a 10% chance of humanity’s end, he argued, regulation should not remain trapped behind political hesitation or Trumpian branding exercises.