The official text of the newly enacted AI Act has been published in the EU’s Official Journal. It was approved by the European Parliament on June 13 and its primary purpose is to establish comprehensive, unified regulations on artificial intelligence. This important act is expected to establish a global standard for AI legislation as it is the first of its type in the world.
The new regulation classifies artificial intelligence into risk-based groups. The EU will prohibit the use of AI in prediction systems that depend on biometric data and profiling, as well as AI systems whose danger is deemed unbearable, such as social scoring and cognitive behavioral manipulation. The exact scope to which the AI Act applies is available here.
The precise definitions provided by the AI Act impact distributors, importers, providers, deployers, and product manufacturers. This implies that accountability will be applied to all parties engaged in the creation, usage, import, distribution, or production of AI systems. Additionally, if the AI system’s output is meant for use within the EU, the AI Act also applies to companies that develop and implement AI systems outside of the EU, such as in Switzerland.
The AI Act will be fully applicable 24 months after entry into force, except for 1. bans on prohibited practices, which will apply six months after the entry into force; 2. codes of practice, which will apply nine months after the entry into force; 3 general-purpose AI rules including governance which will apply 12 months after the entry into force; and 4. obligations for high-risk systems which will apply 36 months after the entry into force.
The legislative process had a significant upheaval in December 2022 with the launch of ChatGPT, despite the legislation being originally proposed by the European Commission in April 2021 to address the problems brought by rapid technical breakthroughs and possible threats linked with artificial intelligence. This meant that the draft text had to be modified to include particular rules for generative AI. On February 13, 2024, the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection of the European Parliament enacted the AI Act – which was approved on June 13.
You may view the history of the AI Act here.
