Happy Friday! It's a holiday weekend and I hope everyone has exciting plans. After successfully dodging a couple of hurricanes last week, my weekend promises to be a bit more low-key.
Illinois Chamber Files BIPA Amicus Brief
This week the Illinois Chamber filed an amicus brief in the First District Appellate Court of Illinois in support of BIPA defendant Black Horse Carriers. The brief was written by Illinois Chamber members Shook, Hardy & Bacon. The Chamber argues that the one-year statute of limitations for privacy claims should apply to causes of action under BIPA. As opposed to a catchall 5-year statute, a one year statute of limitations is essential to limit BIPA to its intended purpose and is more in line with the stated legislative purpose of the law.
A special thank you to Melissa Siebert and Matthew Wolfe for their fine work on this brief. You can read the full brief here:
Full Brief Text
Illinois Announces Federal Support of Quantum and Artificial Intelligence Research
Illinois was chosen to host two of the five new National Quantum Information Science Research Centers led by Chamber members Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in affiliation with the University of Chicago. Each project is projected to received $115 million in federal funding to support breakthroughs in quantum information and science. As part of the state's historic Rebuild Illinois capital program, the state invested $200 million in the Quantum Exchange to put Illinois at the forefront of creating jobs for the next century. The Quantum Exchange is hub for researchers, both academic and industrial, oriented around the goal of advancing efforts in the science and engineering of quantum information.
The announcement builds on the progress Illinois has made to create an ecosystem to support groundbreaking advances in science and innovation. In addition, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will receive federal funding for two research institutes focused on artificial intelligence. Seven AI institutes will receive federal funding in partnership with existing academic research groups. With the new investments, Illinois is the only state nationwide to receive funding for two hubs.
Governor Pritzker released the following statement:
"This is one of the most exciting developments for the economic vitality and prestige of our state. I could not be more delighted that Illinois will be home to not one, but two of the five quantum research centers in the U.S.- opening the newest chapter in the storied history of scientific and technological innovation in the state of Illinois," said Governor J.B. Pritzker. "I'm also proud to see one of our world class public universities, the University of Illinois, recognized for their groundbreaking research on artificial intelligence that will revolutionize industry. Our outstanding ecosystem of world-class academic institutions, national labs, Fortune 500 companies and tech startups has changed the world before, and it is poised to do so again. With our state's investment in science and technology alongside the university and the Department of Energy, we lay the groundwork for scientific achievements that will shape Illinois, the nation-and the globe-for decades to come."
Articles of Interest
