The European Union took a significant stride on Wednesday towards enacting what could be one of the first major regulations for artificial intelligence (AI). This draft law, known as the A.I. Act, was passed by the European Parliament, marking an important development in the global effort to establish safeguards for the rapidly advancing technology. The legislation aims to impose restrictions on risky uses of AI, such as tight regulations on facial recognition software and increased transparency requirements for AI system developers like ChatGPT.
Although this vote represents progress, the final version of the law is not expected to be passed until later this year. Nevertheless, the European Union is ahead of other Western governments, including the United States, in regulating AI. After two years of intense debate, the release of ChatGPT last year further intensified concerns about the potential impact of AI on employment and society, motivating the bloc to take action.
Notably, policymakers worldwide, from Washington to Beijing, are now in a race to control this evolving technology that has even alarmed some of its creators. The White House in the United States has already released policy ideas regarding AI. These include establishing testing protocols for AI systems before their public availability and protecting privacy rights. Meanwhile, China has unveiled draft rules requiring chatbot creators to adhere to strict censorship regulations and exerting more control over data usage by AI system developers.
Nonetheless, the effectiveness of AI regulation remains uncertain. Lawmakers struggle to keep pace with the rapid advancements of the technology. Previous versions of the EU law did not adequately address generative AI systems like ChatGPT, which can generate text, images, and videos. However, the latest version of the bill imposes new transparency requirements on generative AI, including summarizing copyrighted material used for training the system. Safeguards must also be implemented to prevent the generation of illegal content.
The EU proposal has been hailed as an “important landmark” by Francine Bennett, acting director of the Ada Lovelace Institute, emphasizing the necessity of adequate AI regulation despite the challenges associated with regulating fast-evolving technology.
Taking a “risk-based” approach, the European bill targets AI applications with the highest potential for harm to humans. This includes critical infrastructure operations, legal systems, and determining access to public services and government benefits. Technology developers must conduct risk assessments before implementing their innovations, akin to the drug approval process.
However, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, a tech industry group, cautioned against excessively broad regulations that stifle innovation. They believe that the EU’s AI regulations should effectively address specific risks while providing developers with the flexibility to deliver beneficial AI applications.
The use of facial recognition remains a contentious issue, with the European Parliament voting to ban live facial recognition but still considering exemptions for national security and law enforcement purposes. Additionally, the proposed law prohibits companies from scraping biometric data from social media to create databases, following the controversy surrounding Clearview AI’s practices.
Tech leaders, including Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, have been actively involved in shaping the AI regulation debate. Altman has engaged with numerous lawmakers and policymakers worldwide, advocating for AI regulation. However, he has expressed concerns that the European Union’s proposal may be excessively burdensome to comply with.
Following the Wednesday vote, the final version of the law will be negotiated among representatives from the three branches of the European Union. They hope to reach a final agreement by the year’s end, bringing Europe closer to becoming a leader in AI regulation while addressing the complex challenges that come with this revolutionary technology.
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