The European Union’s lawmakers approved an artificial intelligence law, establishing detailed regulations for AI system developers and new limitations on the technology’s application.
Members of the group voted in favor of the law five years after it was first proposed. The regulations are set to be implemented later this year.
“Today is again a historic day on our long path towards regulation of AI,” said Brando Benifei, an Italian lawmaker. “(This is) the first regulation in the world that is putting a clear path towards a safe and human-centric development of AI.”
“I welcome the overwhelming support from the European Parliament for the EU AI Act,” said EU’s internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton. “Europe is now a global standard-setter in trustworthy AI.”
The legislation outlines and bans what the EU deems “unacceptable” uses of the technology.
Under the EU AI Act, AI-powered social scoring systems and biometric tools designed to infer an individual’s race, political views, or sexual orientation are prohibited. The law also bans using AI for analyzing emotions in schools and workplaces, along with certain forms of automated profiling aimed at predicting an individual’s potential for future criminal behavior.
Additionally, the law identifies a distinct category for “high-risk” AI applications, especially in education, employment, and access to public services, subjecting them to specific transparency and other requirements.
The regulation mandates clear labeling of all AI-generated deepfakes to address concerns regarding manipulated media that could result in disinformation and interfere with elections.
Companies that don’t comply will face fines of up to 7% of their global revenue.
“We managed to find that very delicate balance between the interest to innovate and the interest to protect,” Romanian MEP Dragos Tudorache said.
Although the law applies in the EU only, it’s anticipated to influence global practices, as major AI companies are expected to comply to maintain access to the EU market.