Bill Protecting Higher Education Standards from AI Passes the Illinois House

SPRINGFIELD, Ill – The Illinois House of Representatives passed legislation this week from Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (D-Bridgeview) that would protect the quality of higher education in Illinois.

House Bill 1859 requires all courses taught at community college districts to be led by a human instructor. They cannot be replaced by an artificial intelligence program. 

“This bill is critical to ensuring that Illinois students continue to have access to a quality education rooted in human interaction – not AI algorithms,” said Rep. Rashid. “AI cannot be allowed to replace the invaluable role of teachers as mentors and guides in the classroom. While this bill focuses on community colleges, I look forward to expanding protections to Illinois colleges and universities as well.”

Rep. Rashid introduced the bill following the release of the Illinois Generative AI and Natural Language Processing Task Force’s report on generative AI. 

“Higher education is about more than just transferring information – at its core it is about engaging students in the debates that define our disciplines,” said Troy Swanson, PhD, a member of the Cook County College Teachers Union. “AI can be a useful tool in education, but it can never replace the essential human role that educators file in fostering dialogue and innovation.”

The bill passed with bipartisan support and now moves to the Senate for consideration.