OpenAI, Google, Anthropic agree to attend NYC AI hearing after subpoena threats

· New York Post

Google, Open AI and other tech giants agreed to testify in front of the City Council at a hearing next week — after lawmakers threatened to subpoena them to force them to attend.

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin attends a City Council stated meeting at City Hall, Thursday, May 14, 2026. James Keivom for NY Post

The companies attendance at the council-wide hearing in October was confirmed Monday — but only after Council Speaker Julie Menin sent letters requesting that they send representatives, with only Meta responding.

Menin claimed that three of the companies — Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic — changed their tune and agreed to appear after the council sent out a follow up letter explicitly threatening to use its subpoena power.

“These companies have a significant presence in New York City and collectively employ tens of thousands of New Yorkers,” Menin said in a press release.

“Given the high stakes, these firms owe it to their workers and, above all, to the public to come before the council, answer our questions, and provide input on our proposed legislation under oath.”

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wears Meta VR Glasses as he delivers a speech during the Meta Connect event. Zuckerberg’s meta was the only company to agree to attend the hearing before being threatened with a subpoena. REUTERS

Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI was the only invited company that did not respond to the threat — prompting the council to issue the order legally requiring his company’s attendance.

SpaceXAI did not respond to the Post’s request for comment.

The AI companies are being summoned to attend the Oct. 5 hearing to discuss the dangers of the rapidly advancing technology which has raised mounting concerns as reports citing tens of thousands of safety incidents have surfaced over the past few days.

It will be the first public testimony under oath by major AI firms about the risks and potential safeguards of their technology — and will be heard by the City Council in a rare hearing that includes all 51 members.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attends a meeting with US President Donald Trump and technology executives about artificial intelligence in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Musk’s SpaceXAI has not responded to the council’s subpoena. AFP via Getty Images

“Leading experts and AI executives themselves are warning about the potentially grave risks of rapidly advancing AI, and governments have a responsibility to act,” Menin said in a statement.

The scheduled hearing was announced in tandem with a slate of bills introduced last week to safeguard the techonology — including requiring human override “kill switches” for AI agents and cash rewards for the whistleblowers of bad actors.