EU reaches key agreement on AI regulation

On Friday 8 December, negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, which sets out a legal framework to ensure the safe and fair use of AI.

On Friday 8 December, negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on the Artificial Intelligence Act, which sets out a legal framework to ensure the safe and fair use of AI. The harmonised text of the regulation prohibits high-risk AI practices such as social scoring and non-discriminatory face recognition, while allowing for the limited use of biometric recognition by law enforcement authorities under strict supervision.

High-risk AI systems, including those that could influence electoral outcomes, will require a mandatory fundamental rights impact assessment. The Regulation will also provide mechanisms for citizens to lodge complaints and request clarifications on decisions taken by and affecting high-risk AI systems.

To foster innovation, the text of the regulation supports regulatory sandboxes for AI development, with high penalties for non-compliance. This legislation represents a milestone for the EU in regulating the ethical use of AI, and the text will now progress to the formal adoption stages.