From the very start, I have been a tech mayor, and our administration has continually expanded our use of technology to keep New Yorkers safer, stronger, and more informed. From linking our public schools to the NYPD so we can respond more rapidly to any school emergency, to deploying safety drones and expanding broadband to our neighbors in NYCHA, we have embraced the power and possibility of new technology to make life better for all New Yorkers.
But to be an inclusive and truly accessible city, we must also be the most language-friendly city on the globe. This is a global city, where you can hear hundreds of languages spoken on every street, in every store, and on every stoop, and we want to make sure that, no matter what language you speak, you can communicate with your city and learn about the services you are eligible for.
That is why, last week, I issued a directive to city agencies to evaluate how they can further incorporate language technologies into their day-to-day interactions with the public. Our goal is to improve communications with all New Yorkers, including non-English speaking communities.
To start, the city is planning to install language apps on all city-owned smart devices — more than 100,000 in total — to make city services more accessible to New Yorkers. We are also updating the NYPD Patrol Guide Policy to allow officers to use translation apps while interacting with the public. This will give our officers on the beat addressing New Yorkers’ concerns about safety and quality of life another tool at their disposal to communicate with communities in addition to Language Line, which has been used since 1992.
We are also making sure this type of technology can be used to assist our families and children. New York City Public Schools has begun development on “Hello,” a new app to help bridge language gaps that will be rolled out in the spring of 2026. By using speech-to-text and text-to-speech interactions, Hello will be able to give real-time translation and interpretation in the top 12 languages spoken by public school families.
There have been many dramatic developments in technology in recent years, and we are headed into a new era where tech will be integrated into our lives in all kinds of new ways. We want to make sure that this technology is implemented safely and fairly, protecting New Yorkers and their privacy even as we make it easier for New Yorkers from every corner of the globe to navigate life in our city. From finding housing and employment, to opening a small business or enrolling their children in school, language should never be a barrier to safety or access to city services.
This announcement further builds on the work we have done to improve service delivery and make New York City government more inclusive and accessible because when we embrace technology, we are able to deliver every part of our vision more effectively — making our city safer, more affordable, and the best place to live and raise a family.
Eric Adams
Mayor of New York City
Featured image credit: DepositPhotos.com
