Illinois passes SB 315 AI safety audit legislation

Illinois lawmakers have passed a landmark bill establishing the nation’s most stringent state-level safety requirements for major artificial intelligence companies. The legislation, Senate Bill 315, mandates annual independent, third-party safety audits for leading AI developers and is now headed to Governor JB Pritzker for his expected signature.

The bill, known as the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act, targets companies developing the most powerful “frontier” AI systems, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, and xAI. It requires these firms to submit to yearly safety audits conducted by an external entity, moving beyond voluntary self-assessments or internal compliance reports. The measure also compels companies to create, publish, and annually update detailed plans to address severe or catastrophic risks posed by their models.

State Representative Daniel Didech, the bill’s sponsor in the House, said the legislation is designed to establish necessary guardrails. He described AI as one of humanity’s most significant innovations but noted its powerful tools carry potential risks that require safeguards. The bill passed the Illinois House with a vote of 110-0 and...