Techné AI
Independent AI Governance & Compliance Advisory for Illinois-Headquartered Organizations.
Anchored in Illinois. Active across the regulatory map your operations require. We help boards, general counsel, and chief compliance officers build defensible AI governance posture across the laws and frameworks that apply to their business.
Founder
Khullani M. Abdullahi, JD
Founder & Principal Advisor
Khullani founded Techné AI as an independent advisory practice at the intersection of AI governance, D&O liability, and regulatory compliance. She authored the AI Governance & D&O Liability briefing now in active distribution to boards and broker partners; after her testimony to the Illinois Senate Executive Subcommittee on AI and Social Media, the substance of one of her recommendations was incorporated into an AI-risk impact study bill. She also hosts the AI in Chicago podcast.
The problem
The regulatory map for AI compliance has consolidated faster than most boards realized.
Five jurisdictional vectors are now active or imminent for Illinois-headquartered organizations:
- Illinois HB 3773 went live January 1, 2026 — strict-liability prohibition on AI in employment decisions that produce discriminatory effects, with a notice requirement and a ban on zip codes as proxies for protected classes.
- Illinois WOPR Act has been in effect since August 1, 2025, restricting AI in therapy and behavioral health workflows.
- California's ADMT regulations, SB 53 (TFAIA), and SB 942 (AI Transparency Act) layer additional obligations on companies with California operations or California consumers.
- NYC Local Law 144 has been enforced since 2023 and applies to any employer using automated employment decision tools on candidates or employees in New York City.
- The EU AI Act high-risk system obligations apply August 2, 2026 — the deadline most exposed Illinois multinationals are not ready for.
Most general counsel and chief compliance officers we work with have done patchwork work on individual pieces. Few have a unified compliance posture they can put in front of the board, the carrier, or a regulator.
That's the gap we close.
What we do
Six engagements, from a productized two-week diagnostic to a standing retainer.
AI Compliance Diagnostic
A productized two-week assessment that maps your AI risk exposure to the regulatory frameworks that apply to your business. The fastest way to surface where you stand.
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HB 3773 Employment AI Compliance Review
A focused review of your AI use across the employment lifecycle, against Illinois HB 3773 and the IDHR rulemaking landscape. For Illinois employers ready to document a defensible posture.
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WOPR Act Compliance Review
A specialized review for behavioral health operators and AI-enabled mental health platforms operating in Illinois under the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act.
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Multi-Jurisdictional Compliance Review
A unified compliance posture across Illinois, California, New York, and the EU AI Act. For Illinois-headquartered organizations with regional or global operations.
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Board & Committee Briefings
Half-day or full-day briefings for boards, audit committees, and senior leadership on the AI regulatory landscape, D&O exposure, and governance frameworks.
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Standing AI Compliance Advisor
Quarterly retainer for ongoing oversight: regulatory horizon scanning, board briefings on demand, incident response support, and quarterly compliance reviews.
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In the public record
Our work in the public record
Techné AI's authority is built on a documented research record. Our published work, testimony, and tools are open to clients, prospects, and the broader compliance community.
Illinois AI Legislative Ecosystem
A live, regularly updated tracker of every AI-related bill, enacted statute, and regulatory development shaping Illinois AI policy. Used by general counsel, compliance officers, and policy researchers.
Open the tracker
AI Governance & D&O Liability
A briefing for directors, officers, and their advisors on the intersection of AI deployment, fiduciary duty, and director and officer liability. Now in active distribution to boards and broker partners. Work email required.
Request the briefing
Senate Testimony
Submitted written testimony to the Illinois Senate Executive Subcommittee on AI and Social Media on the consolidation of frontier-AI safety legislation around SB 3261.
Read the testimony
Substack & Press
Regular analysis on AI governance, regulation, and risk. Featured on the Disruption Interruption and AI in Chicago podcasts; contributor to Risk Management magazine.
Subscribe
Why Techné AI
Independent. Techné AI does not sell software, technology integration, or model implementation services. We are not a Big Law spinoff, a Big 4 add-on, or a managed-services firm with a governance practice grafted on. AI compliance and governance is what we do.
Methodology-led. Our work is grounded in the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, ISO/IEC 42001, the SaferAI Frontier AI Risk Management Framework, and the emerging proportionality and assurance literature. Every engagement produces documented workpapers and an attributable methodology.
Anchored in Illinois, active across the map. We are based in Chicago and have built deep authority on the Illinois AI legislative ecosystem. Our work follows our clients across the regulatory geographies their operations require — California, New York, Colorado, and the EU.
Built on a published record. Our positions are documented in formal testimony, in the AI Governance & D&O Liability briefing, in our active legislative tracking work, and in public commentary. Our work is open to scrutiny; that is the point.
Where to start
Most engagements begin with the Diagnostic.
A two-week productized assessment that produces a Risk Profile, prioritized gap map, and three-action sequence the board can adopt at its next meeting. From there, we scope the right depth of review for your jurisdictional footprint and risk exposure.