Balancing tech innovation with protection: Illinois politicians discuss AI use in lawmaking

Illinois Democrats are reportedly split on using artificial intelligence in their personal lives and offices, even as they push new laws to regulate the technology’s risks. According to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster uses AI to draft legislation, saying it helps him “pre-filter” ideas before wasting staff time. 

“One of the great things… is I come up with some great idea for a piece of legislation, and then before I waste my staff’s time… I have ChatGPT, or typically Claude, ask what would be involved in writing this legislation,” Foster said, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.

By contrast, U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez says she has never used AI. Ramirez said, per the report, “This whole move fast and break things is not acceptable innovation strategy… It’s people’s lives, their rights and their privacy.”

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Like the majority of Google users, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth has stated she only uses AI “involuntarily” in Google searches, the Chicago Sun-Times noted. “I’ve used some ChatGPT. I mostly end up using AI involuntarily because when I do a Google search on something, the AI answer comes up first,” Duckworth said, per the report. “But again, like anything else, we must remain the masters of the technology and not the other way around.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, Illinois Republicans—particularly State Rep. Jeff Keicher—are concerned about “hindering innovation” when it comes to AI regulation. “I find it interesting that they’re addressing this only in the AI space, when time and again, we have seen bad actors, such as Instagram and Facebook, have situations where they have put children and vulnerable folks in dangerous positions,” Keicher said, per the Tribune. 

Pushing new regulations

While opinions vary, Illinois Democrats are advancing eight bills to regulate AI, including measures on chatbot transparency, school use, and landlord collusion on rental prices, according to Capitol News Illinois. Senate Bill 315 would require large AI developers to publish annual safety reports and report critical incidents within 72 hours, the report confirms.

Data centers powering AI are also under scrutiny. Duckworth warned they could raise utility and water costs. “If you don’t put up the guardrails, they’ll do whatever they want,” she said, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. “So, we need strong community input.”

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According to the same report, U.S. Rep. Sean Casten supports AI’s value in research but fears job losses, especially for young men. “What happens to a society with large numbers of unemployed young people… unemployed young men is sort of a recipe for a political crisis,” Casten said, per the Chicago Sun-Times.

As Congress debates over 300 federal AI bills, Illinois politicians aim to balance innovation with protection, ensuring the public stays “the master of the technology.”