In April 2021, the EU Commission (EC) proposed a suite of new legislative and non-legislative proposals related to artificial intelligence (AI): in a proposed Regulation laying down rules on Artificial Intelligence (“Artificial Intelligence Act – AIA”), the EC attempts the first-ever comprehensive legal framework for this highly debated and fast-developing family of technologies.
The legislative process on the AIA proposal will continue to develop in the months to come, with the debate to continue through 2022. The EU envisages setting the standards that will pave the way for ethical technology worldwide while simultaneously ensuring the EU remains competitive. However, what seems beyond doubt is that the EU legislative process will work its way towards the first major regulation of AI systems globally, and that any company seeking to do business in or with the EU will have to comply.
We have set out a high-level summary of the key policy considerations and proposed new restrictions, risk-classifications and related obligations for AI providers and users stemming from this landmark proposal. If you require any assistance in assessing and understanding the risks and opportunities for your organisation from the AIA proposal or the broader policy and political context that keeps developing alongside the legislative debate, we can support you in devising and executing successful strategies to shape the policy debate.