European Parliament Approves Artificial Intelligence Act to Ensure Safety and Compliance

The European Parliament recently made history by approving the groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence Act, a regulation aimed at ensuring safety, compliance with fundamental rights, and boosting innovation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). With an overwhelming majority of 523 votes in favor, 46 against, and 49 abstentions, MEPs hailed the new law as a milestone in AI governance.

The regulation, which was endorsed by the Internal Market Committee co-rapporteur Brando Benifei, is designed to reduce risks, create opportunities, combat discrimination, and bring transparency to the use of AI. The establishment of the AI Office will support companies in complying with the rules before they come into effect, with a focus on protecting the rights of workers and citizens.

One of the key aspects of the regulation is the ban on certain high-risk AI applications that threaten citizens’ rights. These include biometric categorization systems based on sensitive characteristics, untargeted scraping of facial images for facial recognition databases, emotion recognition in workplaces and schools, social scoring, predictive policing, and AI that manipulates human behavior or exploits vulnerabilities.

However, the parliament did outline exemptions for law enforcement agencies in certain situations, such as targeted searches for missing persons or preventing terrorist attacks. High-risk AI systems used in critical infrastructure, education, employment, healthcare, law enforcement, migration, and democratic processes must adhere to strict guidelines, including transparency, accuracy, and human oversight.

Furthermore, the regulation imposes transparency requirements on general-purpose AI systems, with additional measures for powerful models that could pose systemic risks. Artificial or manipulated content, such as deepfakes, must be clearly labeled to prevent misinformation and manipulation.

In order to foster innovation, the European Parliament also mandated the establishment of regulatory sandboxes and real-world testing at the national level, accessible to SMEs and start-ups. This will enable the development and training of innovative AI technologies before they are introduced to the market.

Overall, the Artificial Intelligence Act represents a significant step towards ensuring the responsible and ethical use of AI in Europe, while positioning the continent as a global leader in AI governance and innovation.