Illinois had “no choice” but to intervene Democratic Rep. Daniel Didech, who sponsored the bill in the Illinois House, told NBC News that the “legislation is designed to put up some guardrails and make sure we have some safeguards in place to protect against some of the worst catastrophic risks.” Didech made it clear in that interview, however, that he never would have sponsored the bill if the federal government hadn’t delayed implementing meaningful protections. “The states shouldn’t be doing this,” Didech said. “The best way to regulate these types of catastrophic risks would be a federal approach.” But “the reality is that Congress has not taken up this issue yet, and the technology is developing at such a rapid pace that states have had no choice but to step in.” Once Pritzker puts the law on the books, AI firms will be subject to its provisions starting January 1, 2027. While the legislation stipulates that there is no private right of action, any violations could expose firms to civil penalties.…