EU Sets Global Precedent with Revolutionary AI Regulation Act
The European Union has once again made history by unanimously passing a groundbreaking piece of comprehensive legislation to regulate AI. Known as the AI Act, this landmark regulation sets a global precedent for the governance of artificial intelligence.
In a press release, the European Parliament announced that the AI Act was passed on Wednesday with an overwhelming majority of 523 votes in favor, only 46 against, and 49 abstentions. This demonstrates the EU’s commitment to addressing the most pressing issues and concerns surrounding AI.
One of the key provisions of the Act is a complete ban on certain applications of AI that could endanger citizens’ rights. This includes the prohibition of biometric categorization systems based on sensitive characteristics, as well as the untargeted collection of facial images from the internet or CCTV footage for the purpose of creating facial recognition databases.
Furthermore, the Act prohibits practices such as social scoring, emotional recognition in the workplace and schools, and any applications that manipulate or exploit human behavior and vulnerabilities.
However, the Act does allow law enforcement to use real-time biometric systems in specific situations with prior authorization. This usage is restricted both in terms of time and geographical location to ensure limited deployment.
In high-risk areas like critical infrastructure, education, employment, essential services, law enforcement, migration and border management, justice, and democratic processes, AI use will be subject to stringent standards of transparency, oversight, reporting, and assessment.
The Act also imposes similar requirements on general-purpose AI. Companies must comply with European copyright laws and disclose the content used for training their AI systems. More advanced general-purpose models may be required to undergo additional assessments and reporting.
Moreover, the AI Act grants all citizens the right to file complaints about AI systems and receive feedback on decisions that affect their rights. Additionally, content creators must clearly label any artificial or manipulated images, audio, or video, commonly known as “deepfakes.”
Although the AI Act has not yet been officially enacted, it is in the final stages of review. Once lawyers and linguists have evaluated the legislation, it will be submitted to the European Council for formal endorsement. The law will then come into force after its publication in The Official Journal of the European Union.
Member states of the EU will have six months to enforce the bans on prohibited practices, nine months to implement codes of practice, and twelve months to establish rules for general-purpose AI systems. The AI Act will be fully applicable 24 months after its entry into force, and businesses will have three years from the official publication of the Act to fulfill all obligations for high-risk systems.
This initiative reflects the EU’s determination to take the lead in harnessing emerging technologies, surpassing international competitors like the US and China. Last year, the EU also enacted the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework, a comprehensive legislative framework for governing cryptocurrencies in Europe that will come into effect later this year.
