Illinois creates an ‘AI Cabinet’ to coordinate statewide oversight and innovation

On September 22, 2026, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order creating a new “Artificial Intelligence Cabinet” within state government. The body is tasked with assessing how AI affects the safety of Illinois residents and the resilience of critical infrastructure, effectively acting as a cross-agency steering group for AI policy at the state level.

The AI Cabinet will inventory how state agencies are already using AI, recommend risk management practices based on the latest technical developments, and help craft guidelines on issues like privacy, discrimination and bias, and safe deployment in public services and infrastructure. With Congress still struggling to pass a comprehensive federal AI law, Illinois is positioning itself among the states building their own governance frameworks.

Chicago and the wider Illinois region host a dense network of tech companies and university labs, and the administration is trying to balance innovation with safeguards. If the model proves useful, other US states may follow with similar AI-focused coordination bodies, shifting more of the practical work of AI governance to state and city governments.