Pritzker establishes AI cabinet amid calls for greater regulation
[September 23, 2026]
By Ben Szalinski
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker is setting up a new group within state
government to explore more regulations for artificial intelligence as
calls grow across the country for new restrictions.
Pritzker signed an executive order on Tuesday to establish an AI Cabinet
made up of experts and representatives from several state agencies. The
unpaid group, which will formulate policy proposals through 2027, will
analyze and assess “the various risks posed by AI to the safety of
Illinois residents and the critical infrastructure residents rely on.”
It’s the latest move by Illinois to tackle state-focused AI regulation
as the federal government continues to take a hands-off approach, even
as industry insiders sound the alarm on the technology’s capabilities.
A former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher alleged in an explosive social
media post earlier this month that AI companies are building a tool that
could become “out of control” and pose a threat to human existence by
2030.
“Artificial Intelligence has enormous potential to transform our
everyday lives, but when experts and industry leaders sound the alarm
bell, urge us to slow down, and ask for guardrails, we should listen,”
Pritzker said in a statement.
The cabinet will formulate policies and procedures to protect Illinois
residents and public assets like water systems, education and
information systems from threats posed by AI. It will also analyze
“emerging AI incidents and share lessons learned” from them.
The advisory group will also make policy recommendations on risk
management and assess the feasibility, timeframe and any other
challenges for implementing them.
The cabinet will consider regulations tying data center incentives or
operational approval to a company’s ability to meet safety,
accountability and transparency standards. It will also look into
addressing strain on the energy grid from data centers, evaluating how
state procurement and contracting practices can incorporate AI safety
and accountability measures, and assessing if existing legal options are
good enough to hold AI companies that cause harm accountable.
[to top of second column]
|
Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at an event at the Illinois Governor’s
Mansion in Springfield on Aug. 11, 2026. (Capitol News Illinois
photo by Jerry Nowicki)
Legislative action
Illinois lawmakers have already taken steps to regulate AI.
Pritzker signed Senate Bill 315 in July, also known as the Artificial
Intelligence Safety Measures Act, which increases transparency and
accountability requirements for the largest artificial intelligence
models — those that generate more than $500 million in annual revenue
and are trained using massive computing power. It establishes new
reporting standards for the possibility that the AI model could be used
for large-scale harm, such as by helping create a chemical, biological
or nuclear weapon or committing cyber-attacks.
It also made Illinois the first state to require annual audits of AI.
The law takes effect in 2028.
Since the whistleblower came forward earlier this month, Pritzker has
been aggressively calling on Congress to step in.
“It should be among the top priorities, but don’t misunderstand, it is
dangerous and it’s dangerous on the level of nuclear weapons,” Pritzker
said on ABC’s Sunday morning news show. “So that’s why it needs to be an
international endeavor.
Pritzker has urged Congress to immediately begin holding hearings on AI
safety and impose national standards.
Capitol News Illinois
is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state
government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded
primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick
Foundation. |
