Illinois governor creates advisory cabinet to study AI regulation and data center rules

Governor JB Pritzker is setting up a new group within state government to explore more AI regulation. The cabinet's advisory group will analyze emerging AI incidents and share lessons learned, and recommend risk management policies. The cabinet will also consider rules that tie data center incentives or operating approval to a company's safety and transparency standards, and it will look at strain on the energy grid from data centers. Illinois already has a law in place. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 315 in July, the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act, which applies reporting and transparency duties to the largest models, those with more than $500 million in annual revenue trained at massive compute scale. The law requires annual AI audits and takes effect in 2028. For companies building AI products, the signal is that state rules may reach beyond model developers into the infrastructure they depend on. Data center siting incentives could come with compliance conditions, so builders who plan facilities or cloud contracts in Illinois should track the cabinet's recommendations.