The European Union adopts comprehensive legislation on artificial intelligence
The new law, which extends its impact to include the entire digital sector as well as artificial intelligence,
is considered a “historic and innovative” step by Europe.
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Concerns about the impact on competition
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The European Union is advancing the development of the most precise standards to regulate the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence,
following the parliament’s approval of the AI law on Wednesday.
These new regulations, which could serve as a model for managing AI in Western countries, especially in the absence of similar legislation in the United States,
have raised concerns among companies about their strictness, while regulatory bodies find them insufficient.
Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the Internal Market, praised Europe for setting global standards for trustworthy artificial intelligence.
The legislation will come into effect after being ratified by the member states and published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Goals of the law
The law aims to address risks related to bias, privacy violations, and other challenges arising from advanced technology.
It prohibits the use of artificial intelligence technologies for emotion analysis in workplaces and educational institutions,
restricts their use in high-risk contexts such as evaluating job applications, and places limits on generative AI tools that have recently gained popularity.
Germany and France have expressed reservations about supporting some of the proposed strict measures for regulation,
warning that these rules could negatively affect start-ups in Europe.
Civil society groups have also expressed concerns about the influence of large companies on the legislation’s formulation.
The announcement of the partnership between “Mistral” and “Microsoft” raised concerns among some politicians about the exploitation of European legislations.
Brando Benifei, a co-author of the law, emphasized that the legislation sets clear safety standards for the strongest models, indicating their success in standing on solid ground.
Concerns about the impact on competition
There is concern among European and American companies that the law could hinder European competitiveness,
pointing to the obstacles facing Europe’s ambitions for technological leadership and artificial intelligence dominance due to modest investments compared to the United States and China.
The Union plans to establish a dedicated office for artificial intelligence, which will be responsible for implementing the law,
capable of requesting information from companies developing generative AI and imposing restrictions on them.
Dragos Tudorache, one of the co-authors of the law, stressed the historical importance of the legislation passed to regulate the digital space,
emphasizing the need for continuous work to ensure the desired results and enhance Europe’s position as a leading digital power.
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The European Union adopts comprehensive legislation on artificial intelligence