Hashtag AI

To ensure that AI is reliable, the European Union (EU) is considering significantly strengthening regulations for the development and use of artificial intelligence. The Artificial Intelligence Act has already been proposed by the European Commission in April 2021. A so-called general orientation position on the legislation was adopted by the European Council in late 2022, and the legislation is currently being discussed in the European Parliament.

The cornerstone of the AI law is a classification system that determines what risk an AI technology may pose to a person's health and safety or fundamental rights.

AI systems with limited and minimal risk, such as spam filters or video games, may be used but have transparency requirements. Systems considered an unacceptable risk, such as government social scores and real-time biometric identification systems in public places, are prohibited with few exceptions.

High-risk AI systems are allowed, but developers and users must abide by regulations requiring rigorous testing, proper documentation of data quality and an accountability framework describing human oversight.

The proposed legislation also includes rules for AI models for general use. This includes ChatGPT.

The Artificial Intelligence Act sets hefty fines for noncompliance. For companies, fines can reach €30 million or 6% of global income. Submitting false or misleading documentation to regulators can also lead to fines.

The goal is to establish a European artificial intelligence council to oversee implementation of the regulation and ensure uniform application across the EU. The body would be charged with releasing opinions and recommendations on problems that arise, as well as providing advice to national authorities.

For now, we can make use of the various AI tools but we need to comply and keep a close eye on the regulations. And perhaps soon all the work will suffice with the mention of a simple #ai.