Illinois Mandates Independent Audits for AI Developers to Ensure Safety Compliance
On July 6, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act into law, marking a significant step in AI regulation. This legislation, supported by major AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, requires AI developers in Illinois to undergo annual independent audits starting in 2028. These audits are designed to verify that companies adhere to their safety plans. This move distinguishes Illinois from other states like California and New York, which have only mandated the publication of safety frameworks and incident reporting. The law specifies that auditors must follow generally accepted auditing standards and possess technical expertise in frontier model safety. However, it does not establish a licensing or certification process for these auditors, creating a challenge in identifying qualified professionals to conduct the audits. 
