‘…This offers immense potential in areas as diverse as health, transport, energy, agriculture, tourism or cyber security. It also presents a number of risks.’
The European Commission has set out a proposal for new rules and actions with the aim of ‘making Europe the global hub for trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.’
A new legal framework on Artificial Intelligence (AI), alongside a Coordinated Plan with Member States; ‘will guarantee the safety and the fundamental rights of people and businesses, while strengthening AI uptake, investment and innovation across the EU,’ the Commission said in a statement. There is also a provision for AI on machinery.
The AI regulation will encompass ‘proportionate and flexible rules,’ which will address the specific risks posed by AI systems and set the highest standards worldwide. The Coordinated Plan will outline the policy changes and investments that are needed at Member State level to ‘strengthen Europe’s leading position in the development of human-centric, sustainable, secure, inclusive and trustworthy AI.’
The Commission said that AI rules will follow a risk-based approach. Unacceptable risk will be applied to AI systems which pose a clear threat to safety, including those that seek to ‘manipulate human behaviour to circumvent users’ free will.’ High-risk areas include critical infrastructure, employment, essential private and public services and administration of justice. In addition all remote and biometric identification systems are considered high-risk. Systems such as chat bots are considered limited risk while things such as AI-enabled video games are minimal-risk.
The Coordinated Plan will foster AI excellence from the lab to the market by setting up public-private partnerships, building and mobilising research, development and innovation and making digitial innovation hubs available to SMEs and public administrations.
Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton said: ‘AI…has been around for decades but has reached new capacities fuelled by computer power. This offers immense potential in areas as diverse as health, transport, energy, agriculture, and tourism or cyber security. It also presents a number of risks.’
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