Illinois lawmakers pass a landmark AI safety bill, SB 315, requiring major AI developers to publish safety plans and submit annual reports from independent third-party testers. The measure also requires companies to report serious incidents quickly and includes whistleblower protections for people who raise concerns about emerging risks. OpenAI and Anthropic back the bill, which supporters say could position Illinois as a state testing ground for AI governance while federal regulation remains stalled.
The bill’s approach relies on independent auditing of safety practices, with some sources describing potential use of large accounting and auditing firms to carry out the evaluations. Supporters argue the added transparency and regular external testing would help track how rapidly evolving AI systems perform in the real world. Critics contend that independent audits may not be sufficiently equipped to evaluate frontier AI models and that companies could be forced to expose sensitive systems to auditors in a regime they say lacks clear technical standards. A trade group opposing the bill argues the rules create regulatory uncertainty.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker indicates he intends to sign the legislation, citing efforts to hold major technology companies accountable.
