EU officials have reached a ‘historic’ AI regulation agreement
Negotiators in the European Parliament and Council reached a tentative agreement on Friday, December 8, on rules governing the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The agreement covers government use of AI in biometric surveillance, how to regulate AI systems like ChatGPT, and transparency rules to be followed before entering the market. This includes sharing technical documentation, EU copyright compliance and summaries of training content.
The EU wants to be the first governing body to have rules on AI, outlining how it can be used beneficially while protecting against risks. The agreement was reached on December 8 and followed 24 hours of debate and 15 hours of negotiations.
The agreement states that AI models with significant impact and system risks must assess and address those risks, conduct tests for system resilience, report incidents to the European Commission, ensure cyber security and describe energy efficiency.
“The right implementation will be important – Parliament will closely monitor new business ideas in sandboxes and support effective regulations for the most powerful models.”
After the deal, European Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton posted on X (formerly Twitter) “Historic! The #AIACT Act is more than a rulebook – it's a launching pad for EU startups and researchers to lead the global AI race. The best is yet to come! “
Historical!
The European Union will be the first continent to adopt clear rules for the use of AI.
The #AIACT Act is more than a rulebook – it's a launching pad for EU startups and researchers to lead the global AI race.
The best is yet to come! pic.twitter.com/W9rths31MU
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) December 8, 2023
According to the convention, general-purpose artificial intelligence must follow codes with risks. Governments can only use real-time biometric surveillance in cases such as certain crimes or serious threats to public places.
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The agreement prohibits cognitive behavioral manipulation, scraping facial images from the internet or CCTV footage, social scoring and biometric systems giving away personal details such as beliefs and orientation. Consumers have the right to complain and seek clarification.
Fines for violations range from 7.5 million euros ($8.1 million) or 1.5% of sales revenue to 35 million euros ($37.7 million) or 7% of global turnover, depending on the company's violation and size.
According to the statement issued by the European Parliament, the agreed text must now be accepted by the Parliament and the Council before it becomes EU law. Parliament's internal market and civil liberties committees will vote on the deal at their next meeting.
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