According to WIRED, OpenAI has testified in support of an Illinois bill that would place limits on when artificial intelligence laboratories can be held legally liable for harms caused by their products. The proposed legislation would restrict liability even in cases where AI systems cause what the bill defines as “critical harm,” which could include scenarios involving mass deaths or major financial disasters.
The ChatGPT maker’s support for the bill represents a significant position on AI liability as policymakers grapple with how to regulate the rapidly advancing technology. According to WIRED’s reporting, the legislation would establish specific conditions under which AI companies could face legal consequences for damages caused by their products, effectively creating a framework that could shield developers from certain types of lawsuits.
The move comes as AI companies face increasing scrutiny over the potential risks posed by their technologies and questions about accountability when AI systems cause harm. The Illinois bill represents one of the emerging state-level attempts to create a legal framework for AI liability, though the details of what specific protections or limitations the legislation would provide were not fully detailed in the report.