First go-ahead from the European Parliament to the Ai Act, the document that establishes for the first time the new European rules for artificial intelligence. Sandro Gozi, MEP of Renew Europe and general secretary of the European Democratic Party announced it via social media: “We have just adopted the proposal for European legislation on AI in the Internal Market (Imco) and Civil Liberties (Libe) commissions: a humanist approach to protect our values and promote research and technological development. A model for the rest of the world”.
The text, which would be the first law in the world on artificial intelligence, was approved with 84 votes in favor, seven against and 12 abstentions. Among the planned measures, the complete ban on the use of artificial intelligence technologies for remote biometric identification, such as facial recognition, used by private entities in spaces accessible to the public. The Commission had already banned its use by public authorities in public spaces. Also no to systems that use subliminal or intentionally manipulative techniques.
Social scoring is prohibited when used by private entities, i.e. when an AI system evaluates an individual’s trustworthiness based on their social behavior or preferences, emotions, health, or intelligence. Consumers are given the right to claim collective redress when an AI system has caused harm to a group of consumers. Consumers are granted several other rights, including the right to be informed when they are subject to a decision by a high-risk AI system, the right to lodge a complaint about an AI system, the right to sue a supervisory authority in the event of inaction.
MEPs also want subject generative AI, such as ChatGpt, to specific rulessuch as forcing AI developers to identify, reduce and mitigate risks to health, safety and fundamental rights, before bringing the AI system to market.
The next step is for the European Parliament to vote in plenary in June on its negotiating position, agreed today at committee level. Then negotiations can begin between the Parliament and the member states, meeting in the Council, to determine the final text. The incoming Spanish presidency aims to reach a political agreement on the Ia Act by the end of the year.
