Europe Aims for Global Lead in AI Technology

The European Commission unveiled plans to accelerate the deployment of AI, aiming to compete with the US and China and become a global leader in the industry. Proposals emphasise development of trustworthy and people-first technology, while also targeting creation of new opportunities for businesses in the EU.

The EC said in a statement that Europe will focus on developing domestic AI systems, and asserted the region had all it needs to become a world leader in the field. It plans to create the right incentives to accelerate deployment of AI, and will seek talent from EU member states. The Comission highlighted the need for clear and strict rules for high-risk AI use cases covering health, policing, transport and other areas.

European Comission also argues that authorities should be able to test and certify the data used by algorithms, similar to existing rules for checking cosmetics, cars and toys. “Unbiased data is needed to train high-risk systems to perform properly, and to ensure respect of fundamental rights, in particular non-discrimination“. The Commission also insists on launching a broad debate on circumstances which might justify the use of facial recognition for remote biometric identification. For low-risk AI services, the EC plans to adopt a voluntary labelling scheme. The proposals are open for public consultation until 19 May, with the EC planning to include them in a Digital Services Act and a European Democracy Action Plan.