Illinois Governor Creates Cabinet to Explore AI Regulation - Insurance Journal

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is setting up a new unpaid group within state government to explore additional regulation of artificial intelligence, according to a report by Insurance Journal. The cabinet is to formulate policy proposals through 2027. It will assess 'the various risks posed by AI to the safety of Illinois residents and the critical infrastructure residents rely on,' the report states.

The report says the cabinet will consider regulations that tie data center incentives or operational approval to safety, accountability and transparency standards. It will also look at grid strain from data centers. In addition, the cabinet is to examine whether existing legal options are good enough to hold AI companies accountable for harm, per the report.

The report does not name the members of the new cabinet, describe how often it will meet, or state whether its policy proposals would need to be acted on by the Illinois legislature. It also does not identify which data center incentives the cabinet would examine, which state agencies would take part, or what enforcement powers, if any, the group would have. The group is described as unpaid, and its mandate to formulate policy proposals runs through 2027. The focus areas set out in the report are AI risk to Illinois residents, AI risk to critical infrastructure those residents rely on, grid strain from data centers, and whether existing legal options are good enough to hold AI companies accountable for harm.