The current draft of the EU AI Act aims to divide artificial intelligence systems into different strands of risk based on their intended use, and to ensure that providers of AI systems comply with the requirements under the risk level that corresponds to its risk allocation.
LOCATION: Brussels/Stockholm
EFFECTIVE: June 14, 2023
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European Union lawmakers on June 14, 2023 voted to approve the text of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, a major step toward the proposed regulation becoming law. The EU AI Act is the first law on AI by a major regulator anywhere, and like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) it has potential to become a global standard. Lawmakers voted on text that would ban real-time facial recognition and place new transparency requirements on generative AI tools like ChatGPT.
Initially proposed in April 2021, the EU AI Act aims to apply to what the EU calls “AI systems,” meaning systems developed through machine learning approaches and logic as well as knowledge-based approaches. Experts note that this is a broad definition to accommodate future developments in AI technology, but it extends to much of present-day AI software. That said, it’s worth noting that not all AI systems will ultimately be subject to the obligations under the EU AI Act.
The act divides artificial intelligence systems into different strands of risk, based on the intended use of the system. The four strands are as follows:
Providers of such AI systems will be obligated to ensure that the system complies with the requirements under the risk level that corresponds to its risk allocation. The regulation provides for substantial fines in the event of non-compliance. Those found in breach of the EU AI Act face fines of up to EUR 30 million or 6% of global profits, whichever is higher.
Recent changes to the act’s text include a ban on the use of the technology in biometric surveillance and for generative AI systems like ChatGPT to disclose AI-generated content. The current draft also states that any company using generative AI tools must disclose copyrighted material used to train its systems (i.e. the “prompts” used). Companies working on a "high-risk application" must also do a fundamental rights impact assessment and evaluate environmental impact. In addition, AI systems that could be used to influence voters and the outcome of elections and systems used by social media platforms with over 45 million users were added to the high-risk list—including Meta and Twitter.
While it’s expected that the EU AI Act will be passed this year, there is no concrete deadline. After EU lawmakers reach common ground, there will be a trilogue—an inter-institutional negotiation process—between representatives of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission. Reuters reports that after the terms are finalized, there would be a grace period of about two years to allow affected parties to comply with the regulations.
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