A committee of lawmakers in the European Parliament recently approved the European Union’s AI Act. This historic legislation is set to become the first AI regulation law in the Western world. As Artificial Intelligence rapidly evolves, authorities worldwide are racing to establish regulations to govern its development and deployment. This article explores the key provisions of the AI Act and its implications for AI systems like ChatGPT, shedding light on the European Union’s risk-based approach to AI regulation.
The European AI Regulation Act: A Landmark Development
- European Parliament’s approval of the AI Act marks a significant milestone in the quest to regulate AI.
- The European Union takes the lead in implementing AI regulations, while China has also developed draft rules in this domain.
- The AI Act adopts a risk-based approach, with obligations tailored to the risk associated with AI systems.
Categorizing Applications of AI
- The AI Act categorizes AI applications into four levels of risk: unacceptable risk, high risk, limited risk, and minimal or no risk.
- Unacceptable risk applications are prohibited within the European Union, encompassing various manipulative or exploitative AI systems.
- Examples of banned applications include subliminal techniques, vulnerable exploitation, biometric categorization based on sensitive attributes, social scoring, and more.
Concerns over Foundation Models
- “Foundation models” like ChatGPT, which serve as the basis for AI systems, are subject to specific requirements under the AI Act.
- Developers of foundation models must implement safety checks, data governance measures, and risk mitigations before making their models public.
- Emphasis is on copyright compliance, ensuring that training data used to train AI systems do not infringe upon copyright laws.
Encouraging Responsible AI Development
- The rapid advancement of privately held AI companies has led to the emergence of robust AI systems like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.
- Google’s recent announcement of the advanced language model PaLM 2 highlights the continuous progress in AI technology.
- The EU’s AI Act aims to provide regulatory guidelines for AI companies, addressing concerns about displacing skilled workers and the ethical implications of AI deployment.
AI’s Ubiquitous Influence
- AI technology permeates everyday life, influencing content recommendations on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
- The EU’s proposed regulations aim to establish a framework for AI companies and organizations to ensure responsible and ethical AI usage.
- The overarching goal is to balance innovation and protect individuals’ rights and societal well-being.
