Pass Illinois AI Safety Laws to Protect Children Before May 31
Pass Illinois AI Safety Laws to Protect Children Before May 31
The Issue
AI chatbots have already contributed to the deaths of children. Now Illinois lawmakers have a chance to do something about it — but they have less than three weeks to act.
As the Illinois General Assembly's spring session approaches its May 31 deadline, a package of bipartisan AI safety bills is on the table in Springfield. Two of the most urgent would require large AI developers to create and follow formal safety plans — including guardrails to prevent chatbots from pushing users toward suicide — and hold those developers legally responsible when their products cause harm, just like any other dangerous product on the market.
Right now, AI companies largely regulate themselves. And as state Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, told a recent legislative hearing, that approach has already cost lives. "We can now say with certainty that the self-regulation of chatbot development has failed," Didech said. "These products resulted in the death of children. The chatbot developers who allowed these tragedies to happen should not get a second chance to fix these problems without government oversight."
The safety plan bill would require third-party review of AI developers' plans to prevent catastrophic harms — including making sure AI systems can be shut down when needed and cannot be used to create weapons. A separate bill, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, would legally define AI chatbots as "products," making their developers responsible for the damage they cause. Another bill by state Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, would require AI systems to detect when a user expresses suicidal thoughts and connect them with a real professional who can help.
California and New York have already moved on similar laws. Illinois now has a chance to join them — and to show the rest of the country what responsible AI oversight looks like. But only if lawmakers act before the session closes on May 31.
We're calling on Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, Senate President Don Harmon, and every member of the Illinois General Assembly to bring these bills to a vote and pass them before the deadline. Children's lives are not a policy footnote. It's time to hold AI developers to the same standard we hold every other industry that puts a product into the world.
Sign this petition to urge the Illinois General Assembly to pass AI safety legislation before May 31.
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The Issue
AI chatbots have already contributed to the deaths of children. Now Illinois lawmakers have a chance to do something about it — but they have less than three weeks to act.
As the Illinois General Assembly's spring session approaches its May 31 deadline, a package of bipartisan AI safety bills is on the table in Springfield. Two of the most urgent would require large AI developers to create and follow formal safety plans — including guardrails to prevent chatbots from pushing users toward suicide — and hold those developers legally responsible when their products cause harm, just like any other dangerous product on the market.
Right now, AI companies largely regulate themselves. And as state Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, told a recent legislative hearing, that approach has already cost lives. "We can now say with certainty that the self-regulation of chatbot development has failed," Didech said. "These products resulted in the death of children. The chatbot developers who allowed these tragedies to happen should not get a second chance to fix these problems without government oversight."
The safety plan bill would require third-party review of AI developers' plans to prevent catastrophic harms — including making sure AI systems can be shut down when needed and cannot be used to create weapons. A separate bill, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, would legally define AI chatbots as "products," making their developers responsible for the damage they cause. Another bill by state Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, would require AI systems to detect when a user expresses suicidal thoughts and connect them with a real professional who can help.
California and New York have already moved on similar laws. Illinois now has a chance to join them — and to show the rest of the country what responsible AI oversight looks like. But only if lawmakers act before the session closes on May 31.
We're calling on Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, Senate President Don Harmon, and every member of the Illinois General Assembly to bring these bills to a vote and pass them before the deadline. Children's lives are not a policy footnote. It's time to hold AI developers to the same standard we hold every other industry that puts a product into the world.
Sign this petition to urge the Illinois General Assembly to pass AI safety legislation before May 31.
27
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Petition created on May 13, 2026