EC Proposes New AI Regulation Plan

The European Commission proposed new rules covering the impact of AI on humans and businesses. The plan is targeting creation of a trustworthy environment for the development of innovative products and services in the European Union.

The EC explained in a statement that the rules would be founded on a risk-based approach to AI, and seek to find a balance between promoting uptake of the technology with protecting people. It plans to ban AI systems considered to pose a clear threat to safety, livelihoods and rights of people, including services which manipulate human behaviour to circumvent users’ free will or allow government-developed social credit systems.

AI systems deemed high risk include those covering employment, education, law enforcement and critical infrastructure. These will be subjected to strict obligations before appearing on the market. The EC emphasised systems for biometric identification will also face strict requirements, with their use in public spaces banned save for  narrow exceptions such as investigating terrorist threats or cases of missing children. It noted the vast majority of AI is expected to be low-risk.

The proposed rules must be ratified by the European Parliament and EU member states before they can be adopted. In 2020, the EC started a public consultation on the proposals, claiming at the time it intended to create incentives for accelerating AI adoption across the EU.