Illinois passes landmark law curbing Trump’s control over AI regulation
▼ Summary
– Illinois lawmakers passed SB 315, the nation’s strongest AI safety law, days after President Trump canceled a federal AI vetting plan.
– If signed by Governor Pritzker, large AI firms must submit public safety plans, annual third-party test results, and report critical incidents within 72 hours (or 24 hours if imminent risk).
– The law provides whistleblower protections for employees reporting emerging safety risks that companies might downplay.
– Governor Pritzker confirmed he will sign the bill, stating Illinois is leading in holding Big Tech accountable.
– Leading AI firms OpenAI and Anthropic supported the law, viewing it as establishing a baseline safety standard for all developers.
Just days after President Donald Trump scrapped a federal plan that would have given the government authority to review cutting-edge AI models,out of concern it could stifle innovation,Illinois lawmakers approved what is now the most stringent AI safety law in the country.
On Wednesday, the Illinois legislature passed SB 315. If Governor J. B. Pritzker signs the bill into law, major AI companies will be required to submit public safety plans and annual reports summarizing results from independent, third-party safety tests of their frontier models. They must also report any critical safety incidents to the state within 72 hours,or within 24 hours if there is an “imminent risk of death or serious physical harm.” Additionally, employees will gain a clear channel for flagging emerging safety risks that companies might want to downplay, backed by protections under the state’s whistleblower laws.
On X, Pritzker confirmed his intent to sign the measure, declaring that “Illinois is leading the nation in holding Big Tech accountable.”
“I look forward to signing SB 315 and working with the legislature so that AI, when used, is used responsibly,” Pritzker added.
Leading AI firms supported the safety law
Both OpenAI and Anthropic, whose models would fall under the state’s oversight, backed SB 315. OpenAI’s chief of global affairs, Chris Lehane, told Wired that the company is pushing for similar laws in other states, a move that appears aimed at avoiding a patchwork of conflicting state regulations.
Anthropic’s head of state and local government relations, Cesar Fernandez, told NBC News that the law’s requirements mirror the safety testing protocols that leading AI firms already follow voluntarily. Still, he described the landmark legislation as crucial for setting a “baseline that every leading AI developer is expected to meet.”
(Source: Ars Technica)
