Illinois Legislature passes historic AI bill that would require third-party safety audits - NBC News

The Illinois House has passed SB 315, a bill that would require frontier AI companies to publish risk management plans and submit to annual independent third-party safety audits. The provision for independent audits is not included in other state AI laws, making Illinois the first state to mandate such oversight for advanced AI systems.

Under SB 315, companies developing 'frontier AI' models — defined by computational scale and capabilities — must produce public documents outlining their risk mitigation strategies. The annual audits must be conducted by external evaluators approved by the state, with results submitted to a regulatory authority. Failure to comply could result in penalties, though the specific enforcement mechanisms have not been detailed in the bill's current text.

The bill represents a notable divergence from other state-level AI legislation, which has focused on transparency or consumer protections without requiring independent verification. Supporters argue that audits provide accountability, while critics note that the bill does not specify audit standards or consequences for non-compliance.