Illinois Governor Vows to Sign AI Safety Bill

Illinois Governor Vows to Sign AI Safety Bill

Illinois is set to have a new law that will regulate artificial intelligence.

The legislation, Senate Bill 315 (SB 315), passed the state’s Senate on May 21 and the House on Wednesday (May 27), according to the website of the Illinois General Assembly.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a Wednesday post on X that he will sign the bill into law.

“Illinois is leading the nation in holding Big Tech accountable,” Pritzker said. “As AI systems impact people’s lives, we need safeguards in place. I look forward to signing SB 315 and working with the legislature so that AI, when used, is used responsibly.”

SB 315, the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act, requires large frontier developers to create a frontier AI framework that addresses risks and governance; requires transparency reports before frontier models are deployed; mandates annual third-party audits; requires frontier developers to report critical safety incidents; and provides whistleblower protections and internal reporting processes for covered employees, according to the General Assembly’s website.

The bill’s chief sponsor in the Senate, Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, said in a Wednesday press release that the bill aims to balance the promise of AI with the potential harms created by the technology.

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“This measure is about putting responsible safeguards in place before a preventable catastrophe occurs,” Edly-Allen said. “Illinois has an opportunity to lead the nation by setting clear expectations for transparency, accountability and public safety. While artificial intelligence holds extraordinary promises from curing disease to transforming scientific research, we have a responsibility to confront the catastrophic risks associated with the systems.”

OpenAI said in a Wednesday post on X that it endorsed SB 315 and believes the bill takes a thoughtful approach to the issues it covers.

“With Illinois joining New York and California in passing frontier AI safety legislation, states are increasingly aligning around a common approach,” the company said. “Together, they are beginning to create a de facto national framework. We think that’s a positive thing.”

PYMNTS reported in September that California became the first state in the U.S. to require developers of advanced AI systems to disclose how they manage catastrophic risks and that the move would help AI regulation gain momentum.