SenRVenturaSPRINGFIELD - A measure sponsored by State Senator Rachel Ventura that would require companies to disclose when they’re using AI chatbots and not a human to talk with consumers passed the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday.

“We’ve all experienced it before. You call a company for help, and the next thing you know, you’re frustrated by the lack of answers – only to realize minutes later you’re talking to a chatbot rather than a real person,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “People deserve to know whether they are communicating with a human or an AI system from the very beginning of an interaction.”

Senate Bill 317 would require any person or company using a conversational artificial intelligence system in a chat interface to communicate with a consumer during trade or commerce to provide the consumer with a clear and conspicuous disclosure at the beginning of the interaction that the consumer is communicating with an automated system and not with a human.

The bill would allow consumers who fail to receive the required disclosure and suffer damages as a result to bring legal action against the seller under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. It would not apply to a business’ use of artificial intelligence outside of direct interaction with consumers, such as internal analytics, fraud detection, inventory management, pricing, or recommendation systems, nor would it impose liability on a business for a third-party AI’s design or output provided that the business complies with the disclosure requirements.

While artificial intelligence can be useful for answering simple questions, it frequently fails when consumers face complex or urgent issues. Customers are often trapped in repetitive loops, given scripted responses that do not address their specific concerns, and left without a clear path to speak with a human representative.

This process can turn what should be a quick resolution into an exhausting ordeal, requiring significant time and effort while offering little meaningful support. Just as importantly, automated systems lack the empathy and human understanding that are essential when people are dealing with billing disputes, service interruptions, or other stressful situations.

“Our goal is to protect consumers, build trust and ensure people can still access real human support when they need it - a real person who can listen, understand, and help resolve their issue,” said Ventura.

Senate Bill 317 is part of a larger AI package being considered by the Senate. The bill passed the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday and heads to the full Senate for further action.