On 17 April 2023. European Parliament committees voted on a draft report on the European Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). This document aims to introduce a new set of rules that will regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within the European Union.
The draft report was prepared by the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). It sets out a number of proposed changes to the original text of the AI Act, which was presented by the European Commission in April 2021.
The main objectives of the proposed European AI Act are:
- to ensure the compatibility of AI applications with the EU’s fundamental rights and values;
- to guarantee consumer protection and fair competition in the market;
- promoting innovation and encouraging investment in AI.
The draft report contains a number of significant changes to the original text of the AI Act, such as:
- introducing higher standards of transparency and accountability for AI technology users;
- tightening requirements for high-risk AI systems, including the introduction of incident reporting and risk assessment obligations;
- proposing a further extension of the ban on AI systems for credit assessment;
- introducing restrictions on AI applications in the field of public surveillance, particularly in the context of facial recognition systems.
The vote on the draft report in the European Parliament committees is an important step in the legislative process for a European AI act. The next step will be a plenary debate and a vote in the European Parliament. Once approved by the Parliament, the AI Act will also need to be approved by the Council of the European Union to become law.
The draft report on the European AI Act is an important element in the drive to introduce coherent and effective regulations governing the AI sector within the European Union. The introduction of such regulations is not only aimed at protecting consumers and respecting fundamental civil rights, but also at promoting innovation and competitiveness in the market.