Society has been adapting to increasingly complex technological inventions for decades, from computers, the Internet, and smartphones to today's artificial intelligence (AI).
All these tools are very useful and have as their main objective to make life in society easier. However, this does not mean that we should ignore the problems that can arise from their misuse. This is where the complex work of lawyers comes into play. The role of the lawyer, in this case, is to predict possible incorrect uses of new technologies that need regulation and to regulate these areas to ensure a purer use of technological advances. The complexity of this task lies in the lack of knowledge about the innovative subject, in this case, AI, due to its short existence. This is why the European Parliament published the first regulation on AI on June 12, 2023. The objective of this article is to explain the important points of the European Union (EU) regulation.
The EU has been a pioneer in regulating AI, being the first in the world to regulate this new technology. The main reasons for the Union when legislating this new technological tool have been the need for citizen security and the protection of their rights when AI enters the market. At the same time, the EU intends to encourage investment and innovation in projects, considering that this is the best time to do so in an emerging market that can benefit society, especially in advances related to medicine, as seen in the iToBoS project.
As already mentioned, the EU's goal is to ensure a sustainable future with AI that respects human rights. The structure of the law starts with the classification of different levels of risk, divided into unacceptable risk, which poses a direct threat to people, such as the use of AI for cognitive manipulation; high risk, which negatively affects the security and fundamental rights of citizens, with measures such as the obligation to register in an EU database. In addition, for AI that is not considered high risk, such as ChatGPT, there will be a transparency requirement. These AIs will have to be assessed, and it will have to be specifically indicated when an image, video or sound has been created by AI, in favour of intellectual property.
In conclusion, despite some prohibitions and formalities for certain classified AI, regulation has positive effects, such as investment and protection of rights. The EU believes in AI and considers that regulating it is the best way to do so. Therefore, it will initiate numerous research and participate in projects of this type, as it considers it to be a valuable tool in various fields such as education, technological progress and medicine, for example, in diagnosis. Therefore, it promotes and supports projects such as iToBoS, with the aim of guaranteeing its citizens the best possible treatments and diagnoses.
To learn more:
EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence | Topics | European Parliament (europa.eu)
AI rules: what the European Parliament wants | Topics | European Parliament (europa.eu)
The future of AI: the Parliament's roadmap for the EU | Topics | European Parliament (europa.eu)
Artificial Intelligence Act: MEPs adopt landmark law | News | European Parliament (europa.eu)