OpenAI raises $500 million as Illinois Senate Democrats introduce AI regulations

Illinois Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Bill Cunningham, introduced a comprehensive package of eight bills on May 13, 2026, to regulate artificial intelligence. Facing slow federal action, the group aims to establish national standards alongside existing rules in California and New York. The legislation targets consumer protection, developer transparency, and safety within schools.

Key provisions require large AI developers with over $500 million in revenue to publish safety frameworks detailing risks that could cause serious harm. Additionally, chatbots must warn users they are interacting with a machine and provide help resources for individuals showing signs of self-harm. Despite threats from the Trump administration, senators remain committed to passing these laws before May 31.

To enforce these rules, the state plans to create a new agency dedicated to overseeing AI use. This body will ensure companies remain transparent about how they deploy AI in their products while promoting fair and equitable usage for all citizens. The move addresses broader social and economic impacts of the technology.

Meanwhile, the private sector is adapting to these shifts. OpenAI recently added Codex to its ChatGPT mobile app, allowing over 4 million weekly users to manage work remotely. In finance, Charles Schwab identified AI as its biggest growth lever, raising its 2026 revenue forecast to 14% to 15% while launching tools for retail clients. Intercom also doubled its engineering output by centralizing AI in its workflow.

Investment in AI continues to surge. The Defiance AIPO ETF has grown to nearly $600 million in assets, holding companies like Quanta Services and Vertiv. Venture capitalist David Gardner believes AI can solve investment inefficiencies in the video game industry, potentially attracting capital back to the sector. A specific AI stock also saw its value jump from $10,000 to $83,000 in one year.

Security remains a priority as companies deploy autonomous agents. SailPoint launched Agentic Fabric to secure AI agents and machine identities, ensuring every agent is tied to a human owner. In Europe, Mistral AI is offering a cybersecurity model to banks as a domestic alternative to restricted US models from Anthropic, aiming to provide a lower-risk option for financial institutions.

Key Takeaways

['Illinois Senate Democrats introduced eight AI bills on May 13, 2026, to regulate safety and transparency.', 'Companies with over $500 million in revenue must publish safety frameworks under new Illinois laws.', 'New chatbot regulations require warnings about machine interaction and self-harm resources.', 'Illinois plans to create a new state agency to oversee AI usage and ensure fairness.', 'OpenAI added Codex to the ChatGPT mobile app, serving over 4 million weekly users.', 'Charles Schwab raised its 2026 revenue forecast to 14% to 15% using AI as a growth lever.', 'The Defiance AIPO ETF has grown to nearly $600 million in assets under management.', 'SailPoint launched Agentic Fabric to secure AI agents and tie them to human owners.', 'Mistral AI is offering a cybersecurity model to European banks as an alternative to Anthropic.', 'A specific AI stock increased in value from $10,000 to $83,000 over one year.']

Illinois Democrats Introduce Eight AI Bills

Illinois Senate Democrats introduced a package of eight bills to regulate artificial intelligence. The legislation focuses on consumer protection, developer transparency, and safety in schools. Sen. Bill Cunningham led the effort because federal action on AI regulation has been slow. The group hopes these laws will create a national standard alongside similar rules in California and New York.

New Illinois Laws Target AI Safety and Chatbots

Illinois lawmakers passed committee bills requiring large AI developers to publish safety frameworks. Companies with over $500 million in revenue must report on risks that could cause serious harm. The laws also mandate that chatbots warn users they are talking to a machine and direct them to help if they show signs of self-harm. These measures aim to protect consumers while allowing technology to grow.

Illinois Senate Pushes AI Rules Despite Federal Pushback

Illinois Senate Democrats announced a new set of AI regulations on May 13, 2026. Sen. Bill Cunningham stated they acted because Washington has not moved on the issue. The bills cover transparency for big tech companies and safety rules for chatbots. Despite threats from the Trump administration, the senators remain committed to passing the laws before May 31.

Illinois Creates New Agency to Oversee AI Use

Illinois Senate Democrats introduced bills to create a new state agency for AI oversight. The legislation requires companies to be transparent about how they use artificial intelligence in their products. The new agency will ensure AI is used fairly and equitably for all citizens. This move is part of a broader effort to address the social and economic impacts of AI technology.

SailPoint Launches Tool to Secure AI Agents

SailPoint unveiled a new platform called Agentic Fabric to secure AI agents and machine identities. The tool helps organizations track who owns each AI agent and what data it can access. This addresses a growing risk as companies use autonomous agents for tasks like purchasing and contract management. The platform works alongside SailPoint's existing Identity Security Cloud to cover all identity types.

New SailPoint Platform Protects AI Procurement Risks

SailPoint released Agentic Fabric to help companies govern AI agents used in procurement. The platform provides discovery, governance, and protection for autonomous agents interacting with supplier systems. It ensures agents only have the access they need and ties every agent to a human owner. A free trial tool is available now to help organizations map their AI usage.

AI May Help Video Game Investors Return

Video game investors are considering how AI could bring money back to the industry. David Gardner, a top venture capitalist, believes AI can solve current investment problems. He noted that many investors left the sector because they overfunded projects that failed to make money. Gardner suggests that with AI, teams can build better games more efficiently, attracting capital again.

Mistral AI Offers Cybersecurity Model to European Banks

French startup Mistral AI is talking to European banks about a new cybersecurity model. The tool is designed to find security weaknesses in AI systems quickly. It is intended as a domestic alternative to a similar restricted model from the US company Anthropic. Mistral, which was valued at 12 billion euros last September, aims to offer a lower-risk option for banks.

Schwab Uses AI to Boost Growth and Serve More Clients

Charles Schwab announced at an investor day that AI is its biggest growth lever. The company plans to use artificial intelligence to serve retail clients who do not have enough assets for a human manager. Schwab raised its revenue forecast for 2026 to between 14% and 15%. They are launching new AI tools to help clients analyze their portfolios and answer questions via chat.

Intercom Doubles Engineering Output with AI

Intercom successfully doubled its engineering throughput by adopting an AI-first strategy. Senior engineer Brian Scanlan explained that the company shifted from using AI as a tool to making it central to their workflow. They launched an internal initiative called '2x' to achieve this without hiring more staff. The approach involves giving AI agents complex problems to solve rather than just simple tasks.

AI Stock Grows Value from 10K to 83K in One Year

A specific AI stock increased in value from $10,000 to $83,000 over the course of a year. Strong demand and supply constraints are expected to drive continued earnings growth for the company. Investors are watching closely as the company delivers robust financial results in the coming quarters.

Defiance ETF Gains Popularity with AI Focus

The Defiance AIPO ETF has grown to nearly $600 million in assets under management. The fund holds a basket of companies involved in disruptive AI technologies like Quanta Services and Vertiv. It aims to help investors diversify their portfolios instead of betting on a single company. The fund recently won the Best New Thematic ETF award at the ETF.com Awards.

Guide to Building an AI Sales Roadmap for SMBs

This guide offers a 12-month plan for small business CEOs to use AI in sales. It suggests starting with quick wins like automated data capture and conversation intelligence. Teams should focus on measurable outcomes such as win rates and time saved on admin tasks. The article emphasizes that success requires good data quality and clear goals for how AI is used.

OpenAI Brings Codex to Mobile Devices

OpenAI added Codex to the ChatGPT mobile app for users to manage work from anywhere. The feature allows users to review outputs, approve commands, and guide Codex while on the go. More than 4 million people currently use Codex weekly for tasks like debugging code and writing tests. The app connects securely to laptops and remote environments to keep work moving.

Sources

NOTE:

This news brief was generated using AI technology (including, but not limited to, Google Gemini API, Llama, Grok, and Mistral) from aggregated news articles, with minimal to no human editing/review. It is provided for informational purposes only and may contain inaccuracies or biases. This is not financial, investment, or professional advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please verify all information with the linked original articles in the Sources section below.

Artificial Intelligence AI Regulation Consumer Protection Developer Transparency Safety in Schools Illinois Senate Democrats Bill Cunningham Federal Action National Standard California New York Large AI Developers Safety Frameworks Chatbots User Protection Technology Growth SailPoint Agentic Fabric AI Agents Machine Identities Identity Security Cloud Procurement Risks Video Game Investors AI Investment Mistral AI Cybersecurity Model European Banks Schwab AI Growth Lever Retail Clients Intercom Engineering Output AI-First Strategy AI Stock Defiance ETF AIPO ETF Disruptive AI Technologies Quanta Services Vertiv AI Sales Roadmap SMBs OpenAI Codex ChatGPT Mobile Devices

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