AI Frontier Institute

HUMAN CONTROL OF AI ACT

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Illinois HB4980, the Meaningful Human Control of Artificial Intelligence Act (Section 1), restricts public employers—including their contractors and subcontractors—from procuring or using automated decision-making systems (AI, machine-learning, or algorithmic tools) without meaningful and continuing human review when those systems administer public assistance programs, adversely affect employee rights or civil liberties, or affect statutorily/constitutionally protected employee rights (Section 10(a)). The bill broadly prohibits using such systems for personnel actions including hiring, discipline, performance evaluation, termination, and productivity requirements, and bans facial, gait, and emotion recognition technologies in employment contexts (Section 10(c)). Employers must notify affected employees when an automated system influences a decision about them, provide an appeals process, and offer an independent human review alternative (Section 10(b)). Procurement of any such system must be preceded by notice to labor organizations and bargaining with exclusive employee representatives, and cannot result in displacement, wage reduction, or transfer of duties from workers to automated systems (Section 10(e)). Before deploying a system, employers must complete an initial impact assessment signed by human reviewers and an independent auditor at least 30 days prior to implementation, with reassessments every two years and before any material system changes (Section 15(a)-(b)). Assessments must evaluate objectives, algorithms, disparate impact on protected classes, accessibility, privacy, cybersecurity, public safety, and data handling, and must be published on the employer's website and submitted to the Governor and General Assembly (Sections 15(e) and 20(a)). If an assessment finds discriminatory, biased, or inaccurate outcomes, the employer must immediately cease use of the system (Section 15(c)). Employees are protected from retaliation for refusing to follow a system's output based on professional judgment or good faith (Section 25). The Department of Labor enforces the Act, may issue cease-and-desist orders, conduct investigations, and impose a $5,000 penalty per violation (Section 30). Aggrieved employees may also bring private civil actions in circuit court to recover lost wages, liquidated damages, up to $500 per violation, and attorney's fees (Section 35).

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