Zohran Mamdani is set to kill off New York's 'functionally unusable' business chatbot, which often gave out illegal advice

• Mamdani calls the business chatbot “functionally unusable” and orders it removed
• The chatbot repeatedly gave incorrect or illegal advice to city business owners
• Ex-mayor Adams defended the system, claiming improvements would make it the best chatbot

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced plans to shutter a business chatbot launched under Mayor Eric Adams’s administration, calling it “functionally unusable.”

At a recent press conference addressing the city’s $12 billion budget gap, Mamdani said the chatbot was costing the city around half a million dollars while giving unreliable guidance to business owners.

The bot, called MyCity Chatbot, was originally designed to serve as a productivity tool for business owners, helping them navigate city rules and regulations.