A landmark bill in Illinois requires major AI firms to submit public safety plans and report critical incidents within hours, marking a significant step towards regulating the burgeoning tech sector. The state's Governor J.B. Pritzker has confirmed his intent to sign SB 315 into law, aiming to set a new standard for accountability among Big Tech.

The move comes shortly after President Trump canceled plans to grant federal oversight of AI models, citing fears that such regulation might stifle innovation. OpenAI and Anthropic have come out in support of the legislation, seeing it as a way to avoid the patchwork of state regulations.

Under SB 315, companies will be required to provide annual reports on independent safety testing of their AI models and report any critical incidents within 24 hours if there is an imminent risk of death or serious physical harm. Employees also have a clear path to report emerging risks without fear of retribution, thanks to state whistleblower protections.

This development suggests that as AI continues to advance at breakneck speed, lawmakers are increasingly turning to states rather than federal action to establish safety standards. Whether this will set a precedent or remain an outlier remains to be seen.