Overview
- The law, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Monday, mandates annual independent third-party safety audits and publication of results for qualifying 'frontier' AI developers that meet high revenue and compute thresholds.
- SB 315 requires companies to publish transparency frameworks explaining how they assess model capabilities and catastrophic risk and to report critical safety incidents to the state within 72 hours or within 24 hours for imminent threats.
- The Illinois attorney general gains enforcement power under the act, with civil fines up to $1 million for a first violation and up to $3 million for subsequent violations plus statutory whistleblower protections.
- Major AI labs including OpenAI and Anthropic publicly backed the bill as it moved through the legislature, while industry groups and startup advocates warn that audit and compliance costs could raise barriers to entry and favor large incumbents.
- Illinois modeled the measure on New York and California laws and lawmakers say the rule set could shape national practice; reporting differs on the statute’s effective date so readers should consult the enacted text or state sources for the official start date.