Rashid-Backed Bills Regulating AI in Illinois Pass Out of Committee

SPRINGFIELD, ILL – Bills championed by state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (D-Bridgeview) to regulate AI chatbots and extend the authority of the Illinois Generative AI and Natural Language Processing Task Force passed out of committee on Thursday.

House Bill 3021 will require chatbots to let users know if they are interacting with an artificial intelligence system if the chatbot is used in a commercial transaction. Rashid hopes to increase the information available to consumers and transparency around AI with this new measure.

“Currently, there are no widespread requirements for consumers to be informed when they are interacting with a chatbot or similar AI technologies, leading to significant opportunities for deception and abuse. A user may believe they are speaking with a licensed professional, such as a medical expert, financial advisor, or therapist, when, in fact, they are communicating with an AI-driven system,” said Rashid. “This bill empowers consumers to make informed decisions by making sure that AI chatbots are clearly marked.”

“Chatbots are now capable of carrying on conversations in ways that can easily lead users to believe they are speaking with a real person. They can also use data collected from people to tailor interactions and influence them more effectively. Consumers deserve to know when they are interacting with a chatbot rather than a human,” said Ilana Beller of Public Citizen. “Rep. Rashid deserves applause for tackling manipulative AI chatbots head on and for having the forethought to extend the AI Task Force to protect Illinois residents in the future.””

Separately, HB 3646 also now heads to the House floor for further consideration. The bill amends the Department of Innovation and Technology Act to extend the AI Task Force into the future to allow for continuous monitoring of generative AI in Illinois and periodic reports. The task force issued its first groundbreaking report on AI in the state last December.