[Eridrus]

It's super annoying, but this is a total nothing burger because he doesn't actually have any power to do anything here.

This has also been a problem long before AI with "virtually staged" apartments.

[kennywinker]

> he doesn't actually have any power to do anything here.

Landlords in nyc are doing business in nyc, which means the city can regulate them, does it not?

[Eridrus]

The Mayor is not a dictator and can't just make up laws or regulations.

He can probably get DCWP to engage in the normal rule making process, but at most this is probably going to get some AI disclosure somewhere, which is what we had for "virtually staged" lies.

[weakfish]

It’s directing the city to treat it as false advertising in existing law if I understand correctly

[Eridrus]

Right, which is why all we're going to get it a label saying that AI was used (or maybe landlords will try to fly through on the label of "virtually staged" that they've been using).

Existing law doesn't have the authority to ban all AI images as inherently deceptive, and DCWP isn't going to be spending a bunch of time prosecuting individual images.

I agree with Mamdani that these images are often deceptive and misleading and sifting through the bullshit is annoying (and was annoying with virtually staged images too). It's just not going to go anywhere. The energy would be better spent on zoning and building code reform.

[evil-olive]

> The energy would be better spent on zoning and building code reform.

you've constructed a false dichotomy here.

the government of a city with ~8 million people is capable of doing multiple things at the same time.

[enraged_camel]

I take it you are a lawyer specializing in NY real estate law, then? Would be interesting to hear a more detailed analysis if so.

[valleyer]

The law applies to everyone, so it's reasonable for everyone to try to understand it, not just attorneys.

Similarly, it's fine for people to have opinions on food, dental hygiene, and the tax code without being a chef, a dentist, and an accountant.

[Eridrus]

I am honestly so surprised that everyone on HN is so naive that they take political statements like this at face value.

Politicians routinely say they will do things they do not have the authority to do, and it's often very important to understanding what will actually happen to have some understanding of what authorities are available to them, or at the very least ask Google/LLMs about it.

[sidewndr46]

I hope they don't figure out virtually all housing is photographed with those weird lenses and the colors are enhanced digitally

[kennywinker]

What do you call a reverse slippery-slope argument? “All images are edited, therefore ai editing is ok.”

Degrees of alteration matter, pretending ai images are the same as color retouching is dumb.

[sidewndr46]

I guess for me, the question is how do you define each degree? If I say something like "Gemini, make the colors pop in my photos!" is that OK?

[TurdF3rguson]

Yes I'm sure he's talking about disclosure. California has this law state-wide.

[Eridrus]

I agree, we're going to get a little warning label, just like the "virtually staged" labels that are already there and nothing of consequence will actually change. That is why I say this is a nothing burger.

[TurdF3rguson]

But that label does serve a purpose. Plenty of people don't know that there's even such a thing as that.

[Eridrus]

I strongly disagree. This is just the Politician's Fallacy.

I keep harping on about the "virtual staging" that real estate agents have been doing for a decade that is equally deceptive and annoying and already gets labeled, and the labels don't actually help because you're still left trying to decipher what is real yourself.

If they wanted to actually do something useful, they'd get together with the legislature and pass a law saying that real estate listings need to come with floor plans that are accurate within X% under the penalty of some sort of fine with a private right of action. But passing laws is hard and faces opposition.

[thenayr]

Why are you so certain of this? Oh it was a problem before so we should just keep doing nothing even though it will almost certainly become exponentially worse with AI? Love this plan.

[Eridrus]

I am so certain of this because I was not born yesterday and this is not my first time paying attention to (NYC) politics.

Politician makes a grand statement they do not have the authority to meaningfully act on to get headlines, DCWP issues a weak sauce disclosure rule and the news cycle moves on because this is not actually anybody's priority.