The Act is expected to be finalized by the end of the year and come into force by 2025. Further negotiations are still required, including votes by Parliament's Internal Market and Civil Liberties committees. The use of AI in biometric surveillance has been a contentious issue, with lawmakers pushing for a complete ban, but governments seeking exceptions for military, law enforcement, and national security. Late proposals from France, Germany, and Italy for self-regulation of generative AI models have also contributed to delays in the agreement.
Key takeaways:
- EU lawmakers have reached a provisional agreement on the proposed Artificial Intelligence Act, which is expected to be the world's first comprehensive set of rules to govern AI.
- The Act includes obligations for high-impact AI systems, such as risk assessments and transparency requirements, and provides citizens the right to launch complaints about AI systems and receive explanations about decisions on high-risk systems.
- There are several applications where the use of AI is banned under the Act, including scraping facial images from CCTV footage, categorization based on sensitive characteristics, emotion recognition at work or school, and the creation of social scoring systems.
- Despite reaching a provisional agreement, further negotiations are still required, including votes by Parliament’s Internal Market and Civil Liberties committees, and the law likely won't come into force until 2025 at the earliest.