The Artificial Intelligence Act, approved by Parliament, aims to ensure safety and compliance with fundamental rights while promoting innovation in Europe. The Act establishes regulations and obligations for AI based on its potential risks and impact levels. Banned applications include biometric categorization systems, untargeted scraping of facial images, emotion recognition in the workplace and schools, social scoring, predictive policing, and AI that exploits vulnerabilities. The use of biometric identification systems by law enforcement is limited to specific situations with strict safeguards, while high-risk AI systems must assess and reduce risks, maintain transparency, and provide explanations to consumers. The Act also includes transparency requirements for general-purpose AI systems and measures to support innovation and SMEs. The law is set to be adopted and enforced in the near future, with the goal of protecting citizens’ rights and ensuring responsible AI use.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parliament approves Artificial Intelligence Act | Legislation and regulation on AI | More comprehensive regulation and safeguards on AI use | Protecting fundamental rights, boosting innovation |
| Bans on certain AI applications | Prohibiting harmful AI applications | Limited use of biometric identification systems, forbidden uses of emotion recognition and social scoring | Protecting citizens’ rights and preventing exploitation |
| Obligations for high-risk AI systems | Enhanced requirements for high-risk AI systems | Risk assessment, transparency, and human oversight for AI systems in critical areas | Protecting health, safety, rights, and democracy |
| Transparency requirements for general-purpose AI systems | Increased transparency for GPAI systems | Compliance with copyright law, detailed summaries of training data, clear labeling of deepfakes | Ensuring transparency and accountability in AI systems |
| Measures to support innovation and SMEs | Support for AI development and testing | Establishment of regulatory sandboxes and real-world testing accessible to SMEs and start-ups | Promoting innovation and competitiveness in AI sector |