Strasbourg, 13 March 2024
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Safeguards on general purpose artificial intelligence
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Limits on the use of biometric identification systems by law enforcement
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Bans on social scoring and AI used to manipulate or exploit user vulnerabilities
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Right of consumers to launch complaints and receive meaningful explanations
On Wednesday, Parliament approved the Artificial Intelligence Act that ensures safety and compliance with fundamental rights, while boosting innovation.
The regulation, agreed in negotiations with member states in December 2023, was endorsed by MEPs with 523 votes in favour, 46 against and 49 abstentions.
It aims to protect fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of law and environmental sustainability from high-risk AI, while boosting innovation and establishing Europe as a leader in the field. The regulation establishes obligations for AI based on its potential risks and level of impact.
Banned applications
The new rules ban certain AI applications that threaten citizens’ rights, including biometric categorisation systems based on sensitive characteristics and untargeted scraping of facial images from the internet or CCTV footage to create facial recognition databases. Emotion recognition in the workplace and schools, social scoring, predictive policing (when it is based solely on profiling a person or assessing their characteristics), and AI that manipulates human behaviour or exploits people’s vulnerabilities will also be forbidden.
Law enforcement exemptions
The use of biometric identification systems (RBI) by law enforcement is prohibited in principle, except in exhaustively listed and narrowly defined situations. “Real-time” RBI can only be deployed if strict safeguards are met, e.g. its use is limited in time and geographic scope and subject to specific prior judicial or administrative authorisation. Such uses may include, for example, a targeted search of a missing person or preventing a terrorist attack. Using such systems post-facto (“post-remote RBI”) is considered a high-risk use case, requiring judicial authorisation being linked to a criminal offence.
Obligations for high-risk systems
Clear obligations are also foreseen for other high-risk AI systems (due to their significant potential harm to health, safety, fundamental rights, environment, democracy and the rule of law). Examples of high-risk AI uses include critical infrastructure, education and vocational training, employment, essential private and public services (e.g. healthcare, banking), certain systems in law enforcement, migration and border management, justice and democratic processes (e.g. influencing elections). Such systems must assess and reduce risks, maintain use logs, be transparent and accurate, and ensure human oversight. Citizens will have a right to submit complaints about AI systems and receive explanations about decisions based on high-risk AI systems that affect their rights.
Transparency requirements
General-purpose AI (GPAI) systems, and the GPAI models they are based on, must meet certain transparency requirements, including compliance with EU copyright law and publishing detailed summaries of the content used for training. The more powerful GPAI models that could pose systemic risks will face additional requirements, including performing model evaluations, assessing and mitigating systemic risks, and reporting on incidents.
Additionally, artificial or manipulated images, audio or video content (“deepfakes”) need to be clearly labelled as such.
Measures to support innovation and SMEs
Regulatory sandboxes and real-world testing will have to be established at the national level, and made accessible to SMEs and start-ups, to develop and train innovative AI before its placement on the market.
Quotes
During the plenary debate on Tuesday, the Internal Market Committee co-rapporteur Brando Benifei (S&D, Italy) said:
“We finally have the world’s first binding law on artificial intelligence, to reduce risks, create opportunities, combat discrimination, and bring transparency. Thanks to Parliament, unacceptable AI practices will be banned in Europe and the rights of workers and citizens will be protected. The AI Office will now be set up to support companies to start complying with the rules before they enter into force. We ensured that human beings and European values are at the very centre of AI’s development”.
Civil Liberties Committee co-rapporteur Dragos Tudorache (Renew, Romania) said:
“The EU has delivered. We have linked the concept of artificial intelligence to the fundamental values that form the basis of our societies. However, much work lies ahead that goes beyond the AI Act itself. AI will push us to rethink the social contract at the heart of our democracies, our education models, labour markets, and the way we conduct warfare. The AI Act is a starting point for a new model of governance built around technology. We must now focus on putting this law into practice”.
Next steps
The regulation is still subject to a final lawyer-linguist check and is expected to be finally adopted before the end of the legislature (through the so-called corrigendum procedure). The law also needs to be formally endorsed by the Council.
It will enter into force twenty days after its publication in the official Journal, and be fully applicable 24 months after its entry into force, except for: bans on prohibited practises, which will apply six months after the entry into force date; codes of practise (nine months after entry into force); general-purpose AI rules including governance (12 months after entry into force); and obligations for high-risk systems (36 months).
Background
The Artificial Intelligence Act responds directly to citizens’ proposals from the Conference on the Future of Europe (COFE), most concretely to proposal 12(10) on enhancing EU’s competitiveness in strategic sectors, proposal 33(5) on a safe and trustworthy society, including countering disinformation and ensuring humans are ultimately in control, proposal 35 on promoting digital innovation, (3) while ensuring human oversight and (8) trustworthy and responsible use of AI, setting safeguards and ensuring transparency, and proposal 37 (3) on using AI and digital tools to improve citizens’ access to information, including persons with disabilities.
Further information
EVP/CDU-Stellungname zum KI-Gesetz
Das Europäische Parlament hat das KI-Gesetz angenommen. Dazu erklärt Axel Voss (CDU), rechtspolitischer Sprecher der EVP-Fraktion und Berichterstatter der EVP-Fraktion im Ausschuss für bürgerliche Freiheiten, Justiz und Inneres:
“Bei der KI-Regulierung gibt es Licht und Schatten. Positiv ist, dass wir ein flexibles und kooperatives digitales Gesetz geschaffen haben, das einen ständigen Dialog mit den Stakeholdern in Gang setzt. Andererseits habe ich Zweifel, ob das KI-Gesetz wirklich geeignet ist, eine sich ständig weiterentwickelnde Technologie zu regulieren. Leider ist der Gesetzestext extrem vage, während das System aus europäischen und nationalen Aufsichtsbehörden viel zu kompliziert ist. Aus diesem Grund habe ich kürzlich eine Liste mit 10 Strategien zur Lösung der Probleme veröffentlicht.
Der öffentliche und der private Sektor müssen in den nächsten Monaten sehr gut zusammenarbeiten, wenn wir sicherstellen wollen, dass die KI-Regulierung eine Erfolgsgeschichte für die EU wird.”
World’s first-ever regulation on Artificial Intelligence becomes a reality, thanks to S&Ds
Today, the European Parliament will adopt the world’s first-ever regulation on Artificial Intelligence (AI), at a plenary vote.
This is a major victory for all of us! The growing integration of Artificial Intelligence into every individual’s life has raised both interest and concern with regard to ethics and data privacy, as well as its impact on employment. Thanks to the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, the new law will guarantee that no matter how this technology evolves, people’s rights will be shielded.
Brando Benifei, S&D MEP and European Parliament co-rapporteur on the Artificial Intelligence Act, said:
“After two years of intense work, we finally have the world’s first-ever regulation on Artificial Intelligence. In every round of negotiations, and without making any concessions, the Socialists and Democrats have defended the principle that fundamental rights deserve strong and effective protection. We delivered what we promised!
“Thanks to the S&Ds, an AI system will not be able to predict whether a person might commit a crime, AI systems will not be able to deduce a person’s ethnic, religious or political affiliation based on their biometric data and AI systems will not be able to be used to recognise emotions in the workplace or in education. On top of that, the S&D Group fought to ensure that workers and unions will have to be informed of the use of Artificial Intelligence on them and that all content generated by AI will be clearly indicated. Finally, citizens will have the right to an explanation and to use the collective redress procedure, while deployers will be obliged to assess the impact of the AI system on the fundamental rights of the people affected. Today we are making history.”
Petar Vitanov, S&D MEP and committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs shadow rapporteur on the Artificial Intelligence Act, said:
“Technical progress should never come at the expense of people’s fundamental rights. AI systems hold great potential but also contain inherent risks, given their opacity. With the first comprehensive regulation in this area, we are answering the demand of the people – 87% of respondents to the Eurobarometer survey on digital rights and principles say that Europeans should be protected against the risky or unethical application of digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence.
“After facing immense pressure from the industry and lobbyists, as well as from certain member states in the Council, the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament should be proud that we managed to safeguard people’s fundamental rights.”
The final text still needs to be formally adopted by the Council to become EU law. The AI act should apply from 2026.
Renew Europe on the AI Act: Parliament approves landmark deal for world’s first horizontal AI laws
The European Parliament has today given the green light to a paradigm-shifting set of rules that will regulate how Artificial Intelligence is governed in Europe and around the world, as it endorsed the inter-institutional deal on the AI Act reached in December.
With this world’s first horizontal law on AI, there will from now on be clear obligations for AI tools based on their potential risks and level of harmful impacts on society, with a special focus on those in high-risk areas, such as critical infrastructure, healthcare, and migration and border management.
Co-rapporteur Dragoş Tudorache (Reînnoim Proiectul European al României, Romania) said:
“In the face of unprecedented advances in AI, perhaps the most important accomplishment of the AI Act is that we have forever attached to the concept of artificial intelligence the fundamental values that form the basis of our societies. With that alone, the AI Act has nudged the future of AI in a human-centric direction, in a direction where fundamental rights are protected, where humans are in control of technology, and where we can safely leverage technology to usher in an era of discovery, progress, and unlocked human potential. We now need to focus on implementation, on policy interoperability with our allies, and on leveraging our diplomatic and political weight to promote the European model of AI governance worldwide. “
Throughout the negotiations, the Renew Europe group worked relentlessly to ensure that the Act would protect fundamental rights, democracy, and the rule of law from high-risk AI while at the same time boosting innovation and making Europe a leader when it comes to AI. For instance, the group played a crucial role by ensuring clear rules and safeguards on foundation models and general purpose AI, focus on stronger governance and enforcement, as well as measures, such as regulatory sandboxes, to support innovation and SMEs, and a ban on predictive policing.
IMCO shadow Svenja Hahn (Freie Demokratische Partei, Germany) underlines:
“We achieved important successes to foster AI innovation made in Europe and by European SMEs. For example regarding the risk classification, the establishment of regulatory sandboxes and the harmonisation of the AI definition with the OECD, which ensures international compatibility. I had strived for an even more innovation-friendly regulation, but it is relevant that AI developers now have a legal framework to operate with.”
Statement by EU Commissioner Thierry Breton on the EU AI Act
Source – EU Commission
BusinessEurope reacts to the European Parliament Plenary vote on the AIAct
Commenting on today’s European Parliament Plenary vote on the AI Act, BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer said:
“This is a pivotal moment for AI development in Europe, but successful implementation will be key to reassure investors, AI developers and citizens that trustworthy AI is here to stay.”
“TheAIAct rightly maintains a risk-based framework and prevents the emergenceof divergent national laws. However, the need for extensive secondary legislation and guidelines raises significant questions about legal certainty and law’s interpretation in practice, which are crucial for investment decisions.
To truly excel in AI, Europe must support companies that innovate and not just navigate bureaucracy because they can afford it. Europe must not only lead in rulemaking but also facilitate easier access to capital and financing for AI development.
It is also still to be seen how the Commission’s initialassumptions, such as AI Investment in the EU being between €30 and 65 billion by 2025, will compare to economic reality.
The AI Act may be ‘adopted’, but much of the real work to ensure the success of AI development in Europe is only beginning.”
Bitkom: Beim AI Act sind noch viele Fragen offen
Berlin, 13. März 2024
Das EU-Parlament stimmte heute dem AI Act zu, der eine Regulierung von Künstlicher Intelligenz in Europa vorsieht. Dazu erklärt Bitkom-Präsident Dr. Ralf Wintergerst:
„Der AI Act gibt einen EU-weiten Regulierungsrahmen für Künstliche Intelligenz vor, lässt aber viele entscheidende Fragen offen. Für Deutschland muss es jetzt um eine rechtssichere und innovationsfreundliche Umsetzung gehen. Die Bundesregierung darf nicht die Fehler der Datenschutz-Grundverordnung wiederholen und das nationale Regulierungskorsett so eng schnüren, dass den Unternehmen der Freiraum für Innovationen fehlt. Ziel muss sein, die Voraussetzungen dafür zu schaffen, dass deutsche Unternehmen und Startups auf Augenhöhe mit den starken internationalen Playern der Künstlichen Intelligenz kommen können.
Besonders wichtig ist, dass in Europa kein Flickenteppich an nationalstaatlichen Einzelregelungen entsteht. Deshalb muss das EU AI Board als neue zentrale Institution schnell arbeitsfähig werden und für eine EU-weite Koordinierung sorgen. Die Bundesregierung muss ihrerseits umgehend die Weichen für die nationale Umsetzung stellen, um sich pro-aktiv in die Gestaltung des EU AI Boards einbringen zu können. Bei den sogenannten General Purpose AI Models muss das neu eingerichtete AI Office auf EU-Ebene die Anforderungen an diese KI-Basismodelle bürokratiearm und praxisnah gestalten.
Deutschland muss die Chancen der KI in den Mittelpunkt rücken. Erst 13 Prozent der hiesigen Unternehmen setzen Künstliche Intelligenz ein, obwohl 82 Prozent ihr eine große Bedeutung für die künftige Wettbewerbsfähigkeit unserer Wirtschaft zusprechen. Generative KI – etwa Chatbots oder Tools zur Bilderzeugung – setzen sogar nur 3 Prozent aller Unternehmen zentral ein. KI in die Breite von Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft und Verwaltung zu bringen, ist die größte Herausforderung der kommenden Monate und Jahre. Die Bundesregierung muss und kann hier mit einer innovationsförderlichen Umsetzung des AI Acts flankieren.“