EU Countries Approve AI Law

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Representatives of the EU member states voted in favor of a proposal to make artificial intelligence subject to stricter rules.

When speaking about “artificial intelligence”, the meaning is usually applications that are based on machine learning in which software searches through large amounts of data for matches and draws conclusions from them. Artificial intelligence is already being vastly used in almost all aspects of our lives, from medicine, to transportation, to science, and much more.

German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said: “Today is a good day for innovation and fundamental rights in Europe. The way is now clear for a secure legal framework that promotes innovation and addresses risks appropriately.”

According to Techxplore, negotiators from the European Parliament and EU countries reached an agreement on the regulation of artificial intelligence back in December, and the unanimous approval of the states given this Friday was actually considered a formality. However, it was reportedly unclear until now whether Germany would vote in favor.

The planned EU law is based on a proposal made by the European Commission in 2021, according to which artificial intelligence systems are to be categorized into different risk groups in the future – the higher the potential risks of an application, the higher the requirements should be. The hope is that the rules will be copied and spread worldwide.

Nevertheless, the CCIA Europe (Computer & Communications Industry Association) has recently criticized the fact that many of the new artificial intelligence regulations are still unclear and could potentially slow the development and introduction of innovative AI applications in Europe.

In response to these claims, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said that when implementing the rules, they will focus on innovation-friendliness, legal clarity for companies and lean, low-bureaucracy structures—for a strong AI location in Europe.