Illinois Governor Creates AI Cabinet to Evaluate Safety Risks

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed an executive order Tuesday establishing a state-level Artificial Intelligence Cabinet tasked with evaluating threats posed by AI systems to public safety and critical infrastructure.

The Democratic governor will appoint cabinet members in the coming weeks from backgrounds in academia, law, ethics, and governance. The panel will work alongside leaders from multiple state agencies, including the Department of Innovation and Technology, Department of Public Health, and Illinois Emergency Management Agency, according to details first reported by WBEZ.

Why it matters

As federal AI regulation remains stalled under the Trump administration, state governments are stepping into the void. Illinois is positioning itself as a leader in AI governance at a moment when prominent researchers and industry executives are publicly warning about catastrophic risks from advanced AI systems.

Responding to industry warnings

The executive order follows heightened alarm from AI safety researchers. Former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon conducted a media campaign this month warning that unchecked AI development "could kill us all by the end of the decade." Major industry figures including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Meta chairman Mark Zuckerberg have also called for stronger safety measures.

"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 provide recommendations on potential public safety threats, protection of public assets, and possible regulatory frameworks.

Building on existing legislation

Illinois already enacted some of the nation's strictest AI regulations in July. That legislation requires frontier AI developers to submit to annual independent audits and publish safety plans detailing how they will mitigate "catastrophic risk."

The law specifically addresses scenarios that could "contribute to the death of, or serious injury to, more than 50 people" by providing "expert-level assistance in the creation or release of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapon."

Companies developing advanced AI systems in Illinois must now demonstrate concrete plans for preventing such outcomes.

Political positioning

The move comes as potential 2028 presidential contenders seek to establish credentials on technology policy. Pritzker, who has not ruled out presidential ambitions, criticized the Trump administration's approach to AI oversight.

"Congress and the White House need to treat AI risks with urgency, but in the meantime, Illinois won't wait because it is our foremost responsibility to prepare and protect Illinoisans," he said.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Charles Isbell said his institution is "eager to help the state navigate the current challenges and opportunities that AI brings," emphasizing the university's commitment to "human-centered AI that protects privacy, reduces bias, strengthens democratic institutions, uses energy wisely, and creates value for workers, companies and communities."

Details about the cabinet's structure, meeting frequency, and reporting timeline were not immediately available. The governor's office indicated appointments would be announced in the coming weeks.

WBEZ first reported the executive order and cabinet formation.