The author of the op-ed “Requiring AI audits makes sense. But Illinois legislators got the order of things wrong” (July 16) argues against the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act (SB315), but his case rests on a flawed premise: that accountability must wait for perfect standards. We disagree.
The assertion that generally accepted AI safety practices don’t yet exist is inaccurate. The 2023 NIST AI Risk Management Framework is a widely referenced foundation for managing AI risks. International standards such as ISO/IEC 42001 give auditors practices to assess right now.
Illinois’ AI Safety Measures Act requires auditors to work with generally accepted auditing standards. It bars AI developers from retaining auditors with whom they share a financial interest. Auditors routinely operate with evolving standards in emerging fields. That’s how professional norms mature. Demanding a perfect consensus before adopting any safety measures is a recipe for infinite delay and no safety at all.
The author’s analogies also undermine his argument. Accounting and pharmaceutical safety regimes didn’t arise from voluntary industry goodwill. They followed public demand for accountability, frequently after people were harmed. Regular audits are the mechanism through which standards get pressure-tested and refined. Practice and regulation develop in tandem.
The “startups will flee” concern is belied by the actual text of the new law. SB315 only applies to large frontier model developers. Those are billion-dollar companies like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. Illinois entrepreneurs building tech startups fall outside the scope of the act.
The new law is also narrower than some critics imply. Enforcement rests exclusively with the Illinois attorney general. The act’s safety requirements phase in through 2028, giving developers and auditors appropriate time to prepare.
Most importantly, the “standards first, audits last” idea assumes we have ample time to spare. These large frontier models already are used to screen job applicants, inform medical decisions, and shape what millions read and believe. A safety framework that suspends all accountability until every definition is settled would leave the Illinois public exposed for years on end.
Illinois should be proud to lead the nation in AI safety and accountability. SB315 is a measured, targeted first step, and lawmakers can refine it as standards mature, exactly as the author hopes.
We agree on one point: Illinois need not choose between safety and growth. That is why meaningful oversight, beginning now, is the right call.
— Steve Wimmer, senior technical and policy adviser, Transparency Coalition, and state Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Grayslake
Is an overhaul needed?
Andy Shaw’s No. 1 remedy for “dysfunction” in Illinois is to streamline units of local government. It’s not at all clear that would make much difference in the fiscal well-being or attractiveness of the state (“The side of Illinois Pritzker would rather ignore,” July 28).
If a community wants to rely on separate taxing districts instead of a consolidated municipal government for schools, parks, libraries and other purpose, the burden falls on its residents to bear any duplicate costs of administration. Indeed, communities may develop a higher tolerance for property taxes if residents know that proceeds are reserved for designated purposes. That doesn’t burden anyone outside the community.
To the extent that local governments create financial burdens for the state, those burdens can be addressed on their own, without requiring an overhaul of Illinois local government.
— Joseph S. Harrington, Morton Grove
Consolidation spurs a fight
Andy Shaw’s op-ed “The side of Illinois Pritzker would rather ignore” brought back some painful memories for me. In the early 1980s, I was the engineer for Putnam County, the smallest county in the state with only four townships. Some county board members thought we should investigate becoming a county unit road district, which would combine our township road districts under the county highway department. For small counties, that works well and is in place in several far southern counties.
The county unit road districts responded to my questioning, and we worked on a proposed organizational structure.
At that time, federal revenue sharing was in place. Most of the townships were diverting those funds to the road district. Several of the road districts had passed referendums to raise their tax rate. If consolidation had occurred, all of those funds would be lost. There was also the mentality that the townships with higher assessed valuation would be supporting the poorer ones. At that time, the finances did not compute. Too much revenue was going to be lost, which could not be made up in increased efficiency and a smaller total workforce. A hearing was held to explain the program and explain the final numbers.
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I was crucified! Township officials accused me of a power grab and riled up the local township boards, which came out en masse. My county board members ducked and left me to absorb the blows for a change I was not promoting.
In short, when you start wanting to eliminate someone’s domain, be ready for a fight. Logic will play no part in the decision.
— Bill Shafer, Putnam County engineer, 1981-2005, Hennepin, Illinois
Negligent delivery drivers
I have to push back on the assertion made in a July 28 letter (“What can delivery drivers do?”) that delivery drivers have no choice but to park in bike and bus lanes while conducting business. I spend quite a bit of time out and about on foot, on my bike, and driving in Ravenswood, Uptown, North Center, Lakeview. and Lincoln Park. With my own eyes, I observe that at least 75% of the time, there is a parking spot or loading/no parking zone available on the same block. Often, these delivery drivers (and Uber or Lyft drivers) stop adjacent to an open spot!
It’s a matter of laziness and lack of concern for the safety of others.
— Lynette Czarkowski, Chicago
Value of Tribune investigations
Thank you so much for the follow-up story on Dr. Ayoub Sayeg (“Plastic surgeon’s license suspended after Tribune investigation exposed 8 deaths,” July 26). I was so relieved that his license had finally been revoked. But so dismayed that the state was so delinquent in doing this. Had it not been for the Tribune’s investigation, the state still may not have acted appropriately.
Thank you also for the investigation involving Rep. Harry Benton and Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. Without Tribune reporting, these facts may never have been brought to light.
Please know there are people out there who appreciate the cause of truth going forward and the important contribution the Tribune is making to it.
I thank the Tribune most sincerely. Keep up the excellent work.
— Debbie Somchay, Westmont
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