On the latest episode of the AI in Chicago Podcast, I had the privilege of speaking with Elena Vekilov, Chief Privacy Officer and Global General Counsel for Data Security, Product, and AI at NielsenIQ. With responsibility for privacy governance across more than 90 markets, Elena sits at an intersection few executives occupy: where data protection, product innovation, and AI governance collide at a global scale.

Our conversation crystallized an insight that every leader racing to implement AI should absorb: People don't resist technology. They resist ambiguity.

Elena reserves particular passion for redefining legal's role in AI adoption. "If your legal team is known as the Department of No, you're doing something wrong," she states bluntly.

The alternative is embedding legal into the product development process from the start – not as a final rubber stamp but as a navigation tool. "Think of legal not as a roadblock, but as a GPS: helping the organization reach its goals without unexpected detours or collisions."

Illinois just made history. In August 2025, Governor Pritzker signed the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act, and the first law in the nation (possibly the world) to regulate AI in mental healthcare.

In this episode, we sit down with State Representative Bob Morgan, Assistant Majority Leader and Floor Whip' within the IL House Chamber, the architect of the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act to understand how Illinois moved from concept to law in just nine months, what the legislation actually does (and doesn't do), and why this matters far beyond state borders.

Rep. Morgan brings a unique perspective as both a healthcare attorney with decades of experience and a state legislator navigating the complex intersection of innovation, safety, and regulation. From his work implementing the Affordable Care Act to managing Illinois's Ebola response, he's seen firsthand how technology and healthcare policy collide.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

• What prompted the urgent need for AI mental health regulation
• How the law protects patients without stifling healthcare innovation
• Why licensed professionals can still use AI to augment their practice
• The political dynamics of passing first-in-the-nation tech legislation
• What other states are learning from Illinois's model
• Where AI regulation is headed next
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Whether you're a healthcare provider, tech builder, policy professional, or simply concerned about AI's role in mental health, this conversation offers rare insight into how thoughtful regulation is actually developed.

Guest: Rep. Bob Morgan, Illinois State Representative (58th District), Partner at Benishlaw, former General Counsel for Illinois Department of Public Health

Host: Khullani Abdullahi, Founder of Techne AI

Listen now to understand the policy framework that may shape AI healthcare regulation across America.

Join AI in Chicago host Khullani Abdullahi for this eye-opening conversation with Bobby Reddy Jr., CEO and co-founder of Prenosis, as he shares the remarkable 10-year journey of developing the first FDA-authorized AI tool for sepsis diagnosis.

In this episode, Bobby reveals why acute care has remained an "innovation desert" for 30 years, the critical shift from product-first to problem-first thinking, and how his team built AI that actually demands better data rather than working around missing information.

We dive deep into the unique challenges of healthcare AI, including perverse financial incentives, biological complexity, and the importance of developing transparent systems that clinicians can trust.

Bobby also shares his vision for revolutionizing clinical trials in acute care and why Chicago's grounded culture provides the perfect environment for tackling healthcare's most intractable problems.

Key Topics:

• Why acute care innovation has stagnated despite representing 10x oncology spending
• The power of problem-first vs. product-first entrepreneurship
• Building AI systems that refuse to operate with incomplete data
• The 5-year path to FDA authorization and why it matters
• Transforming clinical trials through precision medicine approaches
• Chicago's emerging role as a healthcare AI hub

Whether you're a healthcare professional, AI developer, or entrepreneur, this episode offers invaluable insights into solving complex problems that truly matter.