"The EU is set to become a leader in regulating artificial intelligence, but whether it will lead on AI innovation still remains to be seen," said Boniface de Champris, a policy manager for the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a lobbying group for tech companies. "Other countries might want to adapt and copy" the EU rules, he said.īusinesses and industry groups warn that Europe needs to strike the right balance. "The fact this is regulation that can be enforced and companies will be held liable is significant" because other places like the United States, Singapore and Britain have merely offered "guidance and recommendations," said Kris Shrishak, a technologist and senior fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. By laying down common rules for AI, Brussels is also trying to develop the market by instilling confidence among users. The sheer size of the EU's single market, with 450 million consumers, makes it easier for companies to comply than develop different products for different regions, experts say.īut it's not just a crackdown. But Brussels often plays a trend-setting role with regulations that tend to become de facto global standards and has become a pioneer in efforts to target the power of large tech companies. The European Union isn't a big player in cutting-edge AI development. Then they could decide whether their work has been copied and seek redress. That would let content creators know if their blog posts, digital books, scientific articles or songs have been used to train algorithms that power systems like ChatGPT. One key addition is a requirement to thoroughly document any copyright material used to teach AI systems how to generate text, images, video and music that resemble human work. Negotiators later added provisions to cover general purpose AI like ChatGPT after it exploded in popularity, subjecting that technology to some of the same requirements as high-risk systems. ![]() The original measure barely mentioned chatbots, mainly by requiring them to be labelled so users know they're interacting with a machine. Most AI systems, such as video games or spam filters, fall into the low- or no-risk category, the commission says. The technology scans passers-by and uses AI to match their faces or other physical traits to a database.Ī contentious amendment to allow law enforcement exceptions such as finding missing children or preventing terrorist threats did not pass.ĪI systems used in categories like employment and education, which would affect the course of a person's life, face tough requirements such as being transparent with users and taking steps to assess and reduce risks of bias from algorithms. Lawmakers beefed up the original proposal from the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, by widening the ban on real-time remote facial recognition and biometric identification in public. ![]() Predictive policing tools, which crunch data to forecast who will commit crimes, is also out. That means some AI uses are an absolute no-no, such as "social scoring" systems that judge people based on their behaviour.Īlso forbidden is AI that exploits vulnerable people, including children, or uses subliminal manipulation that can result in harm, for example, an interactive talking toy that encourages dangerous behaviour. One of the EU's main goals is to guard against any AI threats to health and safety and protect fundamental rights and values. In extreme cases, violations could draw fines of up to 40 million euros (US$43 million) or 7 per cent of a company's annual global revenue, which in the case of tech companies like Google and Microsoft could amount to billions. Regulators could force companies to withdraw their apps from the market. It will be up to the EU's 27 member states to enforce the rules. Riskier applications, such as for hiring or tech targeted to children, will face tougher requirements, including being more transparent and using accurate data. The act will classify AI systems according to four levels of risk, from minimal to unacceptable. The measure, first proposed in 2021, will govern any product or service that uses an artificial intelligence system. Here's a look at the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act: Read more headlines related to science and technology hereĪ yearslong effort by Brussels to draw up guardrails for AI has taken on more urgency as rapid advances in chatbots like ChatGPT show the benefits the emerging technology can bring - and the new perils it poses. ![]() The European Parliament vote is one of the last steps before the rules become law, which could act as a model for other places working on similar regulations. Lawmakers in Europe signed off Wednesday on the world's first set of comprehensive rules for artificial intelligence, clearing a key hurdle as authorities across the globe race to rein in AI.
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