Illinois lawmakers pass landmark artificial intelligence accountability bill
Illinois lawmakers pass landmark artificial intelligence accountability bill
Publish Date: 2026-05-28 12:12:00
Source Domain: www.cbsnews.com
Following in the footsteps of New York and California, Illinois state lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday that seeks to increase transparency and accountability among the largest and most capable artificial intelligence models.
Senate Bill 315 passed unanimously in the House with Wednesday and now heads to the governor for consideration.
Legislators modeled the bill after 2025 laws in New York and California, hoping to further a national standard they say is lacking at the federal level.
“This legislation enacts critical protections against the most catastrophic risks that advanced AI systems pose to public safety,” House sponsor Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, said. “Artificial intelligence is among the most significant technological developments of modern time. It has the potential to drastically improve the quality of life of people throughout the world, but only if deployed and developed responsibly.”
SB315 is targeted towards the most capable models developed by the largest companies through its thresholds — $500 million in revenue and a massive computing measurement. OpenAI and Anthropic both supported the bill throughout its process and it passed the House 110-0.
“As these models grow more powerful, this kind of enforceable accountability matters more than ever,” Cesar Fernandez, Anthropic’s head of U.S., state and local government relations said in a statement Wednesday. “Illinois lawmakers have set a new standard, and we hope other states and the federal government build on their dedication to AI safety.”
Senate sponsor Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, compared the technology to the “wild, wild West,” and said lawmakers can’t take the same approach they did with social media, an approach that was minimal until recently.
“This is not about stopping innovation, but rather about balancing the great promise of AI with its potential harms,” Edly-Allen said while introducing the bill in committee on May 13.
In a 52-5 vote, state…
