The European Union Parliament on Wednesday approved the world’s first major regulatory ground rules to govern mediated artificial intelligence at the forefront of technology investment.
The EU brokered a tentative political agreement in early decemberIt was then approved in parliament on Wednesday with 523 votes in favor, 46 against and 49 against.
Thierry Breton, European commissioner for the internal market, wrote of X: “Europe is now the world standard-setter for AI.”
European Parliament President Roberta Mezzola said the law is pioneering and will enable innovation while protecting fundamental rights.
“Artificial intelligence is already part of our daily lives. From now on, it will also be part of the law,” she wrote in a social media post.
Dragos Tudlace, the lawmaker who oversaw the EU’s negotiations on the deal, welcomed the deal, but noted that the biggest hurdle remained implementation.
The EU AI law, which came into existence in 2021, classifies technologies into risk categories, ranging from “unacceptable” (where the use of the technology is prohibited) to high, medium, and low risk.
After passing final checks and receiving approval from the European Council, the regulation is expected to come into force at the end of parliament in May. It will then be implemented in stages from 2025 onwards.
Some EU countries have previously imposed self-imposed restrictions on government-led regulations, citing concerns that repressive regulations could create hurdles for Europe’s progress in competing with Chinese and American companies in the high-tech sector. has been claiming. Germany and France, home to some of Europe’s most promising AI startups, are also among the critics.
The EU is scrambling to respond to the impact of technological developments on consumers and the market dominance of major companies.
Last week, blockchain enacted a landmark competition law to rein in giant US corporations. Under the Digital Markets Act, the EU can crack down on anti-competitive behavior by big tech companies and force them to open up their services in sectors where their dominant position stifles smaller companies and hinders users’ freedom of choice. . 6 companies – large US companies alphabet, Amazon, apple, meta, microsoft China’s ByteDance is attracting attention as a so-called gatekeeper.
Even major companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and chipmakers are increasingly concerned about the potential for artificial intelligence to be misused. Nvidia Beating the drum for AI investment.
Governments are concerned that deepfakes – a type of artificial intelligence that generates fake events such as photos and videos – could be deployed in the lead-up to a series of important global elections this year.
Some AI backers are already self-policing to avoid misinformation. Google announced Tuesday that it will limit the types of election-related queries that can be asked of its Gemini chatbot, saying it has already implemented the change in the United States and India.
“The AI Act will move the development of AI toward greater human control over technology, helping it harness new discoveries for economic growth, social progress, and unlocking human potential.” said Tudras. he said on social media on Tuesday.Â
“The AI Act is not the end of the journey, but rather the starting point for a new governance model built around technology. “You have to concentrate on the ground,” he added.
Legal experts said the law is a major milestone in international artificial intelligence regulation and could pave the way for other countries to follow suit.
“Again, the EU was the first to act, and it has developed a very comprehensive set of regulations,” said Stephen Farmer, a partner and AI expert at international law firm Pillsbury. Ta.
“The EU was an early mover in the rush to regulate data and gave us GDPR. We’re seeing global convergence on this,” he continued, referring to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. “The AI law seems to be repeating history.”
Mark Ferguson, a public policy expert at Pinsent Masons, said the law’s passage is just the beginning and businesses need to work closely with lawmakers to understand how the law will be implemented.
Meanwhile, Emma Wright, a partner at law firm Harbottle & Lewis, expressed concern that the law could quickly become outdated as rapidly advancing technology continues to evolve.
“Given the pace of change in technology, as demonstrated by the launch of Generative AI last year, the potential for EU AI law to become quickly obsolete is further complicated, especially given the timeframe for implementation. “It’s sexual,” she said.