Gov. JB Pritzker signs first-in-nation Illinois law requiring third-party safety audits for AI giants

“Where the federal government is unwilling to step up, states must venture once more unto the breach,” Pritzker said at a news conference in Chicago. “History has shown time and again that thoughtful regulation is a requirement for sustainable innovation when our economic and national security is at stake.”

The legislation that Pritzker signed will require large AI developers — those with more than $500 million in annual gross revenue — to publish explanations of how their products could pose a “catastrophic risk” and how those risks would be addressed. The requirements take effect Jan. 1, 2028.