The European Parliament voted this week on the AI Act, a major new set of regulations for artificial intelligence in Europe. The vote confirms the Parliament’s negotiating position ahead of further debate with the European Commission and Council of Ministers. A final agreement on the content of the AI Act could be ready by the end of the year.
The AI Act seeks to regulate AI systems in four categories, ranging from “Unacceptable Risk AI” to “Minimal Risk AI”. The Act, which was proposed by the European Commission in 2021, aims to be technology neutral. In its current form, it will ban some uses of AI where there is considered to be an unacceptable risk. In other cases, it will impose obligations such as requiring risk assessment, the use of high-quality data sets, and clear information to be provided to users. “Minimal risk AI” systems, which the European Commission has indicated covers most AI systems used in Europe, can be freely used, and developed under the proposed rules.
More information can be found on the website of the European Parliament.
