EU lawmakers and governments continued discussions through the night into a second day to finalize landmark rules on artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence on a laptop screen – artistic impression. Image credit: Alius Noreika, created with AI Image Creator
A provisional deal was reached on regulating generative artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, overcoming a significant hurdle. However, debates on the use of AI in biometric surveillance and source code access were yet to be resolved after 20 hours of talks.
The Council of the European Union postponed a press conference as negotiations continued.
The discussions, initiated on Wednesday, aim to establish comprehensive rules for AI, addressing various concerns and challenges associated with the technology.
The urgency to finalize the draft rules proposed by the European Commission two years ago has led to challenges, given the rapidly evolving nature of technology. The success of the new law holds significance, as it could serve as a model for other governments shaping rules for their AI industries, offering an alternative to the U.S.’ light-touch approach and China’s interim rules.
EU countries and lawmakers are working against time to have a final deal ready for a vote in spring, anticipating the legislative process’s slowdown with Parliamentary elections in June. Delays could jeopardize the bloc’s first-mover advantage in AI regulation, with potential legislation taking close to two years to come into effect.
The initial comprehensive framework of the law was introduced in early 2021, nearly two years prior to the transformative launch of Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which expanded the potential applications of the technology.
Reaching provisional agreements on foundation models – the generative AI, such as OpenAI, which undergoes training on extensive datasets to perform various tasks – would mark a significant milestone.
A late proposal by France, Germany, and Italy suggesting that creators of generative artificial intelligence models should engage in self-regulation introduced a source of disagreement. However, such a move would be advantageous for France-based AI company Mistral and Germany’s Aleph Alpha.
Regarding biometric surveillance, EU lawmakers aim to prohibit the use of AI, while governments advocate for an exception for national security, defense, and military purposes.
Written by Alius Noreika