Uncanny Valley | WIRED

The Big Interview: Assemblyman Alex Boris, NY-12 Congressional Candidate
Aired: April 14, 2026
Host: Katie Drummond, WIRED’s Global Editorial Director
Guest: Alex Boris, NY State Assemblyman/Congressional Candidate

Episode Overview

This episode of Uncanny Valley centers on the intersection of technology, power, and politics as Katie Drummond interviews Assemblyman Alex Boris, a New York State legislator running for Congress in NY-12. The conversation spans Boris's tech background, his controversial tenure at Palantir, his transition to public service, his leading role on AI regulation, and his entrance into a heated, highly funded congressional race marked by aggressive super PAC opposition. Central themes include tech’s influence on policy, the urgent need for informed regulation (especially AI), the personal and political costs of advocacy, and the strategies needed to drive change in government.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Alex Boris’s Path from Tech to Politics

[01:21 – 08:11]

Background at Palantir—Defining "Ontology" and Impact

• Boris explains Palantir’s core function as making organizational data usable and trackable through structuring (ontology):
  • “Palantir helps organizations make use of data … by putting what's called an ontology, an opinion of how the data should be structured on top of the data itself.” – Alex Boris (02:15)
  • Cites analyzing loan patterns for the DOJ, resulting in $20 billion returned to taxpayers by exposing banking malfeasance during the Great Recession.

Ethical Turning Point: Leaving Over ICE Contracts

• Boris left Palantir when it shifted, under Trump, to contracts supporting ICE deportations; refused to work on civil immigration matters:
  • “I, as the lead of the project, said no … executives made clear to us that they were not going to [add guardrails] … that's when I [made] the plan to leave.” (06:00)
  • Describes forfeiting unvested equity/options for the sake of principle (07:27).

Transition to Government and Public Service

• Boris’s activism roots: labor organizing, opposition to automation replacing jobs, and a deep belief in government as a force for good.
• Moved to startups focusing on public good (anti-money laundering, distributing COVID aid).
• Ran for Assembly on the advice of a friend: “You’re always talking about how you are downstream of bad policy, trying to fix it with tech. Here’s your chance to go upstream and design it right the first time…” (08:11)

2. Politics, Effectiveness, and Tech Literacy

[09:44 – 12:49]

• Boris has passed 30 bills—remarkably high compared to Congress (09:45).
• Named “most effective new legislator from New York City” by the Center for Effective Lawmaking.
• On the dire need for tech literacy in government:
  • “One person in Albany should know how tech works.” (10:18)
  • Only the second Democrat in Congress (if elected) with a computer science degree, out of 435 members (12:40).
  • Addresses the broader issue: “You want to have a diversity of backgrounds in office … but [software engineering] is just not represented.” (11:53/12:39)

3. AI Regulation: New York’s Raise Act & the National Landscape

[12:59 – 16:50]

The Raise Act’s Requirements

• Applies to leading developers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta).
• Mandates public safety plans, government disclosure of critical incidents (i.e., those causing injury/death), and establishes a NY state agency for ongoing regulation and oversight:
  • “They have to disclose critical safety incidents to the government… requires either having caused an injury or death or will imminently cause…” (13:57–14:49)

Federal Backlash: Trump Administration Executive Order

• Executive order threatens to punish states passing stricter-than-federal AI laws by withholding broadband funding, authorizing lawsuits (15:35–16:09). Boris frames federal policy as “nonexistent” and motivated by mega-donors (16:09).

Political Targeting and SuperPAC Onslaught

• Tech-aligned super PACs (notably “Leading the Future”) spend millions attacking Boris over AI regulation stance.
  • “They pledged to spend $10 million against me… because they realized that I am their greatest threat for their quest for unbridled control…” (17:35–18:39)
  • The attacks, ironically, raise Boris’s profile and voter engagement on AI regulation.

4. Big Picture AI Policy: What Needs to Happen

[21:26 – 27:50]

Boris’s 43-Point AI Regulatory Framework

• Covers age verification, data privacy (“AI can de-anonymize previously anonymized data”), labor, catastrophic risk, technical standards for deepfakes.
  • “I put out a AI framework about two months ago that had eight subject areas, 43 sub points…” (21:30)
  • Cites strong, bipartisan support and notable endorsement: “Chief Futurist of OpenAI … said, quibbles around the edges, but this is the most thought out plan I’ve seen from an elected official.” (22:39)

AI Regulation, Partisanship, and Prospects in Congress

• Optimistic about bipartisan appetite for sensible guardrails, especially for kids and labor.
  • “I agree with Josh Hawley on basically nothing except that AI could really use some regulation.” (23:57)
• New bipartisan momentum at the state level (Raise Act, training transparency).

Countering the ‘Regulation vs. Innovation/China’ Argument

• Dismisses concerns that regulation will hinder U.S. innovation or empower China:
  • “China regulates AI so much more strongly… regulation is not going to be the reason we win or lose…” (25:33)
  • “Often safety and innovation go hand in hand… these things are not necessarily in conflict.” (26:38/27:50)

5. Philosophy of Risk and Urgency

[27:50 – 29:56]

• On AI’s existential risks, labor displacement, and societal consequences:
  • “If the people who believe in short timelines end up to be true, we also won’t get the chance. There is just a lot that we have to do here.” (28:40–29:56)
• Labor impacts may trigger “politics that I think leads to” instability (28:40).
• Expresses urgency and the complexity of the moment: “That’s why my plan had 43 subpoints…” (29:56)

6. The NY-12 Race, Super PACs, and Opponent Field

[29:56 – 31:35]

• Crowded field: Boris, Jack Schlossberg, George Conway, Micah Lasher, among others. Main opposition: SuperPAC, not other candidates (30:33).
• Unique qualifications noted: effectiveness in legislation, dual sector experience, only candidate with a security clearance and a CS degree.
  • “In a race where everyone’s promising to stand up to Donald Trump, I’m the only one that his mega donors are spending millions of dollars against.” (30:33)

7. On ICE, Policy, and Democratic Messaging

[31:40 – 35:49]

• Calls for abolition, prosecution, and restriction of ICE:
  • “ICE needs to be abolished and dismantled and prosecuted. There are crimes that have been committed here...” (32:14)
  • Proposes strict oversight, banning mask-wearing, identification requirements, sensitive location bans, and no local law enforcement collaborations (32:14).
• Democrats’ capabilities and limits: Points to real hurdles in the current minority but notes some effective legislative tactics. “Elections have consequences and it is extremely important that we take back the majority…” (34:46–35:49)

8. Game Segment: "Control, Alt, Delete" — Tech Pet Peeves and Fantasies

[36:38 – 41:02]

• Control:
  Wants to control all code platforms to automate cybersecurity checks and vulnerability testing at source.

  “I would like to control every platform you use for coding … to do vulnerability testing and cybersecurity checks at the point that it happens.” (37:05)

• Alt (Alter):
  Change social media to prioritize content from friends, restore to original vision; supports interoperability laws, as passed in Utah.

  “The original vision was about following your friends and it is now just algorithms feeding us whatever will capture our eyeballs. We should go back to that original vision…” (38:10)

• Delete:
  Jokingly says he'd delete Slack:

  “A more controversial take: I can’t stand Slack… it breaks me out of the flow state every time.” (39:33)

• Extended riff on Slack noise as 3am nightmare.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Palantir’s Functionality:

• “We built a system that let you track individual loans … and found numerous examples of that exact pattern. … We were able to recover $20 billion for taxpayers.” – Alex Boris [03:40]

On Leaving Palantir Over Ethics:

• “My principles were more important to me.” – Alex Boris [07:27]

On Tech Literacy in Congress:

• “I watched a very high-profile politician sort of basically be like, beep, beep bop, phone does what social network is … there has been no meaningful regulation…” – Katie Drummond [11:26]
• “Less than 1% of your congressional representatives, for something moving so fast and so important, is probably not the right balance.” – Alex Boris [12:51]

On Facing Super PAC Attacks:

• “They’re just hyperbolic, ridiculous ads … I scare them. They realized that I am their greatest threat for their quest for unbridled control over the American worker …” – Alex Boris [17:35]

On AI’s Existential Risks:

• “If we don’t get the changes in the labor market right, we might not get the chance to get anything else right.” – Alex Boris [28:40]

On ICE:

• “ICE needs to be abolished and dismantled and prosecuted. There are crimes that have been committed here…” – Alex Boris [32:14]

On Slack (humorous):

• “A more controversial take: I can’t stand Slack … breaks me out of the flow state every time … my 3:00am nightmare is the Slack ping noise.” – Alex Boris [39:33–40:17]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro, context, Palantir & Ontology: 00:05 – 04:18
• Palantir, ICE, Ethics, Exit: 05:18 – 08:11
• Transition to Government/Effectiveness: 08:11 – 09:44
• Tech Literacy in Congress: 09:44 – 12:49
• NY Raise Act & Federal Pushback: 12:59 – 16:50
• Super PAC Attacks & Political Impact: 16:50 – 19:47
• AI Regulation—Policy Positions: 21:26 – 27:50
• Risks, Urgency, and the Race: 27:50 – 31:35
• On ICE & Democratic Messaging: 31:35 – 35:49
• Game: Control, Alt, Delete: 36:38 – 41:02

Episode Takeaways

• Boris is uniquely tech-literate among lawmakers, with deep policy and coding experience.
• He’s at the forefront of AI safety/regulation, facing industry opposition but sees bipartisan momentum.
• His political journey is defined by a willingness to change course for principle, push hard for effectiveness, and weather intensive personal scrutiny.
• Deep skepticism about tech industry’s motives—believes regulation and innovation can coexist.
• Passionate advocacy for abolishing ICE, with practical NY-based legislative efforts as models.
• Humorous, self-deprecating moments about the trials of campaign life and his strong aversion to Slack—reminding listeners of the human side behind the headlines.

For listeners seeking insight into how policy, ethics, tech, and real power struggle behind the scenes—not just in DC, but at the intersection of personal decision-making and massive industry influence—this episode is rich, candid, and packed with both hard truths and sly, memorable moments.