EU Agrees Landmark Deal on Regulation of Artificial Intelligence

European Union (EU) officials have reached an initial deal on pioneering legislation aimed at regulating the use of artificial intelligence, marking the world’s first comprehensive set of laws in this domain. After a marathon 36-hour negotiation session, negotiators have outlined regulations surrounding AI applications like ChatGPT and facial recognition.

The proposed AI Act is scheduled for a vote in the European Parliament early next year, with any resulting legislation not expected to take effect until at least 2025.

EU Agrees Landmark Deal on Regulation of Artificial Intelligence

Meanwhile, countries such as the US, the UK, and China are swiftly moving to establish their own regulatory guidelines.

Key aspects of the proposals include protective measures governing AI utilization within the EU and restrictions on its deployment by law enforcement agencies. Under these regulations, consumers would be empowered to lodge complaints, and fines might be enforced for violations.

EU Commissioner Thierry Breton hailed the plans as “historic,” emphasizing their role in establishing “clear rules for the use of AI.” He emphasized that beyond being a rulebook, this legislation would serve as a platform for EU startups and researchers to excel in the global AI landscape.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted the AI Act’s significance in fostering technology that upholds people’s safety and rights. In a social media statement, she lauded it as a “unique legal framework for the development of AI that engenders trust.”

Defined by the European Parliament, AI encompasses software capable of generating outputs, such as content, predictions, recommendations, or decisions, aligned with human-defined objectives in the environments they engage with.

ChatGPT and DALL-E exemplify “generative” AI, learning from vast data sets like online text and images to create new content mimicking human-made output.

Chatbots like ChatGPT enable text-based conversations, while AI programs like DALL-E craft images based on simple text instructions.

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