Introduction
In the rapidly evolving world of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game-changer. However, with great power comes great responsibility. As AI continues to permeate every aspect of our lives, the need for regulation becomes increasingly apparent. This article delves into the European Parliament’s recent move to negotiate the first-ever rules for safe and transparent AI, marking a significant milestone in the journey towards AI regulation.
Summary
This blog post provides an in-depth review of the European Parliament’s decision to negotiate the first-ever rules for safe and transparent AI. It explores the key aspects of these proposed regulations, including prohibited AI practices, high-risk AI, obligations for general-purpose AI, and measures to support innovation while protecting citizens’ rights. The post concludes with an FAQ section addressing common queries about these new AI rules.
The European Parliament’s Position on AI
The European Parliament has taken a bold step towards regulating AI. With 499 votes in favor, 28 against, and 93 abstentions, the Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the AI Act. The aim of these rules is to foster the development of human-centric and trustworthy AI, while ensuring the protection of health, safety, fundamental rights, and democracy from potential harmful effects of AI. The Parliament’s move signifies its commitment to align AI development and use with EU rights and values, including human oversight, safety, privacy, transparency, non-discrimination, and social and environmental wellbeing.
Prohibited AI Practices
The proposed rules adopt a risk-based approach, establishing obligations for providers and deployers of AI systems based on the level of risk the AI can generate. AI systems posing an unacceptable level of risk to people’s safety would be prohibited. These include systems used for social scoring, which classify people based on their social behavior or personal characteristics. The Parliament expanded the list to ban intrusive and discriminatory uses of AI, such as real-time remote biometric identification systems in publicly accessible spaces, predictive policing systems, and untargeted scraping of facial images from the internet or CCTV footage to create facial recognition databases.
High-Risk AI
The Parliament ensured that high-risk applications now include AI systems that pose significant harm to people’s health, safety, fundamental rights, or the environment. AI systems used to influence voters and the outcome of elections, as well as recommender systems used by social media platforms with over 45 million users, were added to the high-risk list. This move underscores the Parliament’s commitment to mitigating the potential risks associated with AI.
Obligations for General Purpose AI
Providers of foundation models, a new and fast-evolving development in the field of AI, would have to assess and mitigate possible risks to health, safety, fundamental rights, the environment, democracy, and the rule of law. They would also need to register their models in the EU database before their release on the EU market. Generative AI systems based on such models, like ChatGPT, would have to comply with transparency requirements and ensure safeguards against generating illegal content.
Supporting Innovation and Protecting Citizens’ Rights
To boost AI innovation and support SMEs, the Parliament added exemptions for research activities and AI components provided under open-source licenses. The new law promotes regulatory sandboxes, or real-life environments, established by public authorities to test AI before it is deployed. Furthermore, the Parliament wants to enhance citizens’ right to file complaints about AI systems and receive explanations of decisions based on high-risk AI systems that significantly impact their fundamental rights.
Voices from the Parliament
After the vote, co-rapporteur Brando Benifei said, “All eyes are on us today. While Big Tech companies are sounding the alarm over their own creations, Europe has gone ahead and proposed a concrete response to the risks AI is starting to pose. We want AI’s positive potential for creativity and productivity to be harnessed but we will also fight to protect our position and counter dangers to our democracies and freedoms during the negotiations with Council.”
Co-rapporteur Dragos Tudorache added, “The AI Act will set the tone worldwide in the development and governance of artificial intelligence, ensuring that this technology, set to radically transform our societies through the massive benefits it can offer, evolves and is used in accordance with the European values of democracy, fundamental rights, and the rule of law.”
Looking Forward: The Future of AI Regulation
Negotiations with the Council on the final form of the law will begin later today. Co-rapporteurs Brando Benifei and Dragos Tudorache, along with EP President Roberta Metsola, will hold a press conference to explain the outcomes of today’s vote and the next steps. By advancing this legislation, MEPs respond to citizens’ proposals from the Conference on the Future of Europe on ensuring human oversight of AI-related processes, making full use of the potential of trustworthy AI, and using AI and translation technologies to overcome language barriers.
A New Chapter in AI Governance
The European Parliament’s move to negotiate the first-ever rules for safe and transparent AI marks a significant step in the global discourse on AI governance. As AI continues to evolve and permeate every aspect of our lives, these regulations will play a crucial role in ensuring that the technology is used responsibly and ethically. The world watches as Europe takes the lead in setting the tone for the development and governance of AI, a testament to its commitment to uphold democracy, fundamental rights, and the rule of law.
FAQ Section
Q1. What is the AI Act?
A1. The AI Act is a proposed set of regulations by the European Parliament aimed at ensuring the safe and transparent use of AI.
Q2. What are some of the prohibited AI practices under these rules?
A2. The rules prohibit AI systems that pose an unacceptable risk to people’s safety, such as those used for social scoring and real-time remote biometric identification systems in publicly accessible spaces.
Q3. What are the obligations for general-purpose AI?
A3. Providers of foundation models would have to assess and mitigate possible risks and register their models in the EU database before their release on the EU market.
Q4. How does the AI Act support innovation and protect citizens’ rights?
A4. The Act promotes regulatory sandboxes for testing AI and enhances citizens’ right to file complaints about AI systems.
Read also our article “The Inexorable Advance of AI: Threat or Opportunity?“.
Source : European Parliament.
