New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed regret for a casual remark she made, suggesting that Black children in the Bronx may not know what a “computer” is.
During an interview at a major business conference in California focused on expanding economic opportunities in artificial intelligence for low-income communities, the Democrat made the spontaneous comment on Monday.
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Hochul stated, “Right now, we have young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word computer is. They don’t know, they don’t know these things,” while on stage at the Milken Institute Global Conference.
Although the remark was not addressed during the interview, the governor clarified that her objective is to create pathways for communities of color to access emerging artificial intelligence technologies as a means to tackle social inequality.
Nevertheless, the comment received swift criticism from some political leaders in New York, including state Assemblywoman Amanda Septimo, a Bronx Democrat, who described it as “harmful, deeply misinformed, and genuinely appalling.”
In a subsequent statement on Monday, Hochul admitted, “I misspoke and I regret it.”
“Of course, Black children in the Bronx know what computers are — the issue is that they too often lack access to the technology needed to pursue high-paying jobs in emerging industries like AI,” Hochul clarified. “That’s why I’ve been committed to increasing economic opportunity since Day One of my Administration and will continue to fight to ensure every New Yorker has a chance at a good-paying job.”
New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat representing the Bronx, defended Hochul as her remarks circulated online.
“While the governor’s words were clumsy and hurtful, I believe her intentions are genuine. I firmly believe she wants to see all of our students succeed,” Heastie stated.
