EU Parliament Approves Landmark Artificial Intelligence Act
In a historic move, the European Parliament has approved the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act , establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework to ensure the safe and ethical development of AI technology while boosting innovation across the European Union.
The regulation, agreed upon in negotiations with member states in December 2023, was endorsed by MEPs with a strong majority of 523 votes in favor, 46 against, and 49 abstentions.
“We finally have the world’s first binding law on artificial intelligence, to reduce risks, create opportunities, combat discrimination, and bring transparency,” said Brando Benifei, the Internal Market Committee co-rapporteur from the S&D group in Italy. “Thanks to Parliament, unacceptable AI practices will be banned in Europe and the rights of workers and citizens will be protected.”
The Artificial Intelligence Act aims to protect fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of law, and environmental sustainability from the potential harms posed by high-risk AI systems, while also establishing Europe as a global leader in responsible AI innovation.
Key Provisions of the AI Act
Banned AI Applications: The law bans certain AI applications deemed to pose unacceptable risks to citizens’ rights, including biometric categorization systems, indiscriminate facial recognition, emotion recognition in the workplace, social scoring, and AI that manipulates human behavior or exploits vulnerabilities.
Limits on Law Enforcement Biometrics: The use of biometric identification systems by law enforcement is strictly limited, with only narrowly defined exceptions allowed, such as targeted searches for missing persons or to prevent terrorist attacks.
Obligations for High-Risk AI: The regulation establishes clear obligations for high-risk AI systems that could cause significant harm to health, safety, fundamental rights, the environment, democracy, or the rule of law. These systems must undergo risk assessment, maintain detailed logs, ensure transparency and accuracy, and maintain human oversight.
Transparency for General-Purpose AI: The law introduces transparency requirements for general-purpose AI (GPAI) systems and underlying models, including compliance with EU copyright law and the publication of detailed summaries on training data.
Support for Innovation and SMEs: To foster innovation, the regulation mandates the establishment of regulatory sandboxes and real-world testing environments at the national level, which will be accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups.
“The EU has delivered. We have linked the concept of artificial intelligence to the fundamental values that form the basis of our societies,” said Dragos Tudorache, the Civil Liberties Committee co-rapporteur from Renew Europe in Romania. “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.”
The Artificial Intelligence Act is expected to be formally adopted before the end of the current legislative term and will be fully applicable within 24 months, with some provisions taking effect even earlier. This landmark legislation directly responds to citizen proposals from the Conference on the Future of Europe, reflecting the public’s desire for a comprehensive and responsible approach to AI governance in Europe.
