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Analyzing the European Union AI Act: What Works, What Needs Improvement

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Summary

The EU AI Act is set to become the world's first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence. The European Commission, Council, and Parliament are negotiating the final details of the law, which could be enforced in a few years. Areas of potential disagreement include biometric surveillance, the definition of high-risk AI, and governance. Technology companies may have difficulty complying with the proposed regulations, and the EU plans may impact the US. Stanford HAI has convened experts to discuss the details of the regulation and what may still be up for negotiation.

Q&As

What areas of negotiation are expected to surface during the trilogue process of the European Union AI Act?
The areas of negotiation expected to surface during the trilogue process of the European Union AI Act include AI use for biometric surveillance in public spaces, the definition of high-risk AI, governance, generative AI regulation, assessments for high-risk applications after deployment, and technocratic elements such as the types of agencies to be regulated.

What are the potential areas of disagreement between the European Parliament, Council, and Commission?
The potential areas of disagreement between the European Parliament, Council, and Commission include AI use for biometric surveillance in public spaces, the definition of high-risk AI, and governance.

What do technology companies need from policymakers in order to comply with the proposed regulations?
Technology companies need further clarification from policymakers on transparency, model access, and impact assessments in order to comply with the proposed regulations.

How can the U.S. leverage the EU Act to pass their own laws?
The U.S. can leverage the EU Act to pass their own laws by understanding the EU Act and looking for standards they can align on to ensure laws are easy to implement.

What is currently lacking in the proposed AI Act?
What is currently lacking in the proposed AI Act is consideration of model use, aspects of the supply chain, and model access.

AI Comments

👍 I appreciate the comprehensive legal framework proposed by the EU AI Act. The detailed discussion of negotiation points between the three EU institutions is very insightful.

👎 I am disappointed that the EU AI Act does not provide enough clarity on areas such as transparency, model access, and impact assessments. Companies will struggle to comply with the regulations without further clarification.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about the European Union's AI Act, and how it could become the world's first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence. Politicians and technologists are discussing the major areas of negotiation, what's at stake for the US, and what aspects may still be up for negotiation between the three EU institutions.

Friend: Wow, that's really fascinating. What are the implications of this article?

Me: The article highlights some of the potential areas of disagreement between the three legislative bodies, such as the use of AI for biometric surveillance in public spaces, the definition of high-risk AI, and governance issues. It also points out that companies may need further clarity on transparency requirements, access to models, and impact assessments. Finally, it suggests that the passage of the EU act could make it harder for the US to pass its own laws since companies may not want two different sets of rules for two different markets.

Action items

Research the current U.S. regulations on AI and compare them to the proposed EU AI Act.
Reach out to policymakers in the U.S. to discuss the potential for aligning standards between the two regions.
Develop a plan for evaluating and auditing AI models to ensure compliance with the proposed EU AI Act.

Technical terms

EU AI Act: The European Union Artificial Intelligence Act, a proposed legal framework for artificial intelligence that is set to become the world's first comprehensive legal framework for AI.
Trilogue: A three-way negotiation between the European Commission, European Council, and European Parliament to finalize the details of the EU AI Act before it can become law.
MEP: Member of the European Parliament, a representative of the European Union.
High-Risk AI: Artificial intelligence applications that are considered to be potentially dangerous or harmful.
Foundation Model: A type of AI model that is used to create a base for other AI models.
Open-Source: A type of software that is made available to the public with its source code, allowing anyone to modify and redistribute the software.
Closed or Restricted Access Model: A type of AI model that is not available to the public and can only be accessed by certain individuals or organizations.
Impact Assessments: Evaluations of the potential effects of a certain action or policy.