European Union reaches agreement to regulate AI – 12/09/2023 – Tech

European Union lawmakers have agreed the terms of landmark legislation to regulate artificial intelligence, advancing the implementation of the world’s most restrictive regime for the development of this technology.

EU Commissioner Thierry Breton confirmed in a post on X that a consensus on regulation had been reached, calling it a “historic agreement.”

“The EU becomes the first continent to establish clear rules for the use of AI,” he wrote. “The AI ​​Law is much more than a rulebook — it is a launching pad for EU startups and researchers to lead the global AI race.”

The agreement took years of discussions between Member States and the European Parliament about how AI should be controlled to have humanity’s interests at the center of legislation. It came after a marathon of meetings that began on Wednesday (6).

Details of the deal were still emerging after the announcement. Breton said lawmakers agreed on a two-tier approach, with “transparency requirements for all general-purpose AI models (like ChatGPT)” and “more stringent requirements for powerful models with systemic impacts” across the EU.

Breton said the rules would implement safeguards for the use of AI technology while avoiding an “excessive burden” on companies.

Among the new rules, lawmakers agreed to strict restrictions on the use of facial recognition technology, except for narrowly defined exceptions for law enforcement.

The legislation also includes bans on using AI for “social scoring” — using metrics to evaluate people — and AI systems that “manipulate human behavior to circumvent their free will.”

The use of AI to exploit people who are vulnerable due to age, disability or economic situation is also prohibited.

Companies that do not comply with the rules face fines of 35 million euros or 7% of global revenue.

Some technology groups were not pleased. Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, managing director of DigitalEurope, which represents the continent’s technology sector, said: “We have a deal, but at what cost? We fully support a risk-based approach based on the use of AI, not the technology itself , but the attempt to regulate fundamental models at the last minute changed that completely.

“The new requirements — in addition to other comprehensive laws — will require a lot of resources from companies to comply with, resources that will be spent on lawyers rather than hiring AI engineers.”

European parliamentarians spent years discussing their position before beginning negotiations with member states and the European Commission, the EU’s executive body. The three — national ministries, parliamentarians and the commission — agreed on a final text on Friday night, allowing the legislation to become law.

European companies have expressed concerns that overly restrictive rules on the technology, which is rapidly evolving and has gained momentum following the popularization of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, will hamper innovation. In June, dozens of Europe’s biggest companies, including France’s Airbus and Germany’s Siemens, said the proposed rules were too strict to encourage innovation and help local industries.

Last month, the UK hosted a summit on AI safety, leading to broad commitments from 28 nations to work together to tackle the existential risks posed by advanced AI. This event attracted leading technology figures such as OpenAI’s Sam Altman, who has previously criticized the EU’s plans to regulate the technology.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, praised lawmakers for the political agreement on AI rules.

She said: “This is a historic moment. The AI ​​Act brings European values ​​into a new era.”

She added: “Until the law is fully enforceable, we will support companies and developers to anticipate the new rules. Around a hundred companies have already expressed interest in joining our AI Compact, voluntarily committing to implement key obligations of the law before the legal deadline.”