They Tried to Kill the Bill. They Created the Jobs Instead.
The Sip & Click
When Enemies Unite:
The AI Safety Bill That Created a Whole New Job Category
Saturday, December 28, 2025
The Drama, The Receipts & Your $188K Opportunity
Good morning, Future-Proofer. ☕ Buckle up. This one's good.
You know how in every reality show there's that one episode where the sworn enemies suddenly link up because someone else threatened the whole house? Where the villain and the hero share a drink in the corner and you KNOW something is about to go down?
That's what just happened in AI. And honey, the receipts are fascinating.
🍵 This Week's Drama
Previously on AI Housewives...
Back in June, New York's legislature passed the RAISE Act—the Responsible AI Safety and Education Act—which would have been the most aggressive AI safety legislation in the country. We're talking: companies would have to write actual safety plans, report incidents within 72 hours, and—here's the kicker—not release models they knew were unsafe.
Revolutionary, right?
Then, in late November, Big Tech showed up at the party. Together. OpenAI (the flashy one who's always in the news). Google (the legacy player who invented half this stuff but can't stop tripping over its own feet). Meta (the "open source is the new flex" crowd). And—I need you to sit down for this one—Anthropic, the company whose entire brand is literally "We're the responsible ones. Someone has to be."
All of them. Same table. Same goal: water this bill down.
🎬 Anthropic, in confessional:
"The fact that two of the largest states in the country have now enacted AI transparency legislation signals the critical importance of safety and should inspire Congress to build on them."
Translation: We publicly support safety while privately lobbying to soften it. Make of that what you will.
But wait—it gets messier. They brought universities along. Through something called the AI Alliance, the same institutions that receive AI research funding from these companies showed up in ad campaigns against the bill. We're talking NYU, Cornell, Dartmouth, Carnegie Mellon, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Penn Engineering, Yale Engineering, and Louisiana State University—all running ads starting November 23 saying the RAISE Act would "harm job growth."
Meanwhile, a venture capital super PAC called Leading the Future—backed by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), the Silicon Valley venture capital giant behind investments in OpenAI, Facebook, and half of tech that's been spending millions to fight AI regulation—along with OpenAI's president Greg Brockman, is now trying to take down one of the bill's co-sponsors, Assemblymember Alex Bores, in his congressional race.
Bores' response? "I appreciate how straightforward they're being about it."
The audacity. 💅🏾
New York Governor Kathy Hochul eventually signed a version of the bill on December 19th—just last week—but only after the original was gutted and rewritten to match California's weaker version. She sat on it for six months while the lobbying blitz happened. The 72-hour incident reporting? Now 15 days. The ban on releasing unsafe models? Gone. The whole thing was a game of chicken between politicians, tech billionaires, and your safety.
Not us though. We're paying attention.
📅 The Timeline
June 2025: NY Legislature passes the original strong RAISE Act
November 23: AI Alliance ad campaign launches against the bill
December 19: Hochul signs the watered-down version
January 1, 2027: Law takes effect
📜 Sage Insight
"All war is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive."
— Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Read that again. Anthropic's whole brand is "we're the responsible ones." They seemed unable to align with the fast-and-loose crowd. But when regulation threatened the whole industry? Suddenly they were very able. Very active. Same lobbyists, same table, same goal.
Sun Tzu would be proud. Or horrified. Probably both.
The income angle? This fight just created an entire job category. Someone has to build the safety protocols they're now required to publish. Someone has to run the new oversight office. Someone has to translate "compliance" into actual systems.
That someone could be you.
🧠 THOUGHT: The Strategic Intelligence
What this signals:
• AI governance is a billion-dollar market. Fortune Business Insights projects $2.3 billion by 2032. Every major company needs compliance specialists who can translate regulation into systems.
• The money is real. According to IAPP's 2025 Salary Survey, AI Governance Legal/Compliance leads earn a median of $188K. Tech sector roles hit $205K-$221K.
• The "bicoastal standard" is forming. NY + California now set the floor. Companies operating in either state will need to comply—which means everyone will.
• The gap is expertise, not tech skills. 72% of AI governance jobs require management skills, 67% require business process expertise. You don't need to code. You need to translate.
💬 WORD: How to Talk About This
🏢 The "I Want a Raise" Script (Internal)
"The NY RAISE Act just passed, and by 2027 we'll need documented AI safety protocols for any model we deploy. I've been tracking governance frameworks and can lead our compliance strategy before we're scrambling."
💼 The "New Client" Script (Freelance/Consulting)
"With NY and California both requiring AI safety documentation by 2027, most companies don't have anyone who can translate these requirements into actual protocols. I specialize in building governance frameworks that satisfy regulators without slowing down your AI roadmap."
📊 The "Budget Meeting" Script
"We're looking at $1M fines for first violations, $3M for subsequent ones. The cost of getting ahead of this now is a fraction of what non-compliance will cost us. I can build our framework for [X] and have us audit-ready six months before the deadline."
⚡ ACTION: Your Weekend Money Move
⏱️ 15 minutes. One prompt. Real positioning.
Use this prompt to identify where YOU fit in the AI governance gold rush:
🛠️ The Prompt
I work in [your field] with experience in [your background]. I'm interested in [employee role / consulting / fractional work]. The NY RAISE Act and CA's AI transparency laws are creating demand for AI governance professionals. Roles include: - AI Ethics Officer - AI Compliance Specialist - AI Risk Manager - AI Governance Consultant - Fractional AI Governance Lead Based on my background and work style preference, which 2-3 AI governance paths would be the best fit? For each: 1. Why my experience translates 2. What 1 certification or skill I'd need to add 3. A realistic rate or salary range 4. One company hiring OR one client type to target Be specific. No generic advice.
🎯 Saturday Sprint: By Career Station
Legacy Builders (The Fractional Expert)
⏱️ 20 min: Draft a one-page "AI Governance Readiness Assessment" offer you can pitch to companies worried about 2027 compliance. Price it at $2,500-5,000.
The Operators (The AI Translator)
⏱️ 15 min: Read the NIST AI Risk Management Framework executive summary. Map your current role's AI touchpoints. You're building a case for a title upgrade.
The Optimizers (The Productivity Architect)
⏱️ 15 min: Create a "AI Usage Documentation Template" for your team. This is the foundation of compliance. The person who builds the system owns the system.
The Accelerators (The Speed Specialist)
⏱️ 10 min: Add "AI Governance" to your LinkedIn skills. Search "AI compliance" jobs on LinkedIn. Screenshot 3 postings and save them. You're researching what's possible.
🚀 Launch Pad: For Students & New Grads
📨 Forward this section to the young person in your life who needs to hear it.
Here's what nobody's telling you: AI governance didn't exist five years ago. There are no gatekeepers. No "10 years experience required." The IAPP AI Governance Professional (AIGP) certification is brand new. Entry-level roles are opening at $61K-$80K.
Your Interview Reframe:
"I'm positioning myself at the intersection of policy and technology. With NY and California both requiring AI safety documentation by 2027, I'm getting ahead of a skills gap that most companies haven't even identified yet."
⏱️ Weekend Sprint (30 min):
Search LinkedIn for "AI governance" jobs in your target city. Screenshot 3 postings. Note which skills repeat. That's your study list. You just did more career research than 90% of applicants.
📜 Weekly Philosophy
"When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you."
— African Proverb
🧠
Thought
💬
Word
⚡
Action
Big Tech united against regulation because their enemy was external. Your work is internal—building skills no legislation can take away.
🌿 Before You Go
The AI boom is loud. Your nervous system doesn't have to match its energy.
Take three slow breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Feel your feet on the floor.
The tools will still be there. The opportunities will still be there. But you? You need to be there first.
— Susan
Go be the signal in the noise.
Until next Saturday,
Susan
P.S. Want to go deeper than a weekend sprint? The Oracle Table teaches you to use AI strategically—not just reactively. Career Transition Track now open. Learn more →
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