AI Act: EU seeking to rein in artificial intelligence
Europe wants lead the way in the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI): around two years after the EU Commission presented its Artificial Intelligence Act, parliamentary committees are calling for tighter regulations such as a ban on face and emotion recognition systems. A step in the right direction?
Global coordination needed
El País applauds:
.“Guaranteeing the transparency of its functioning, the quality of the data it processes and the identification of the sources are necessary prerequisites for the citizen to know what a system that can provide enormously useful services in numerous professions offers. However, the citizens’ trust in its reliability must form the basis of this model. The ability to create texts and images that are credible and coherent but fake and the risk of malicious use present challenges to us all. The EU has led the way with this law. The next goal now must be to coordinate the AI control measures with other regions of the world and create mechanisms for their effective enforcement”
Missed opportunities
Reactions in Europe to the new technology seem odd, notes the Tages-Anzeiger:
“Italy temporarily blocked ChatGPT. The European Union is planning a law on AI and has become the first parliament in the world to propose guidelines for ChatGPT. Regulation instead of innovation in the digital sphere — Europe is obeying its old reflexes. ... As we all know none of the search engines worth mentioning originates from Europe, let alone a successful social network or a groundbreaking text robot. In these areas, the US and China are in the lead. The Old Continent is once again in danger of being left behind when it comes to developing new technologies.”
It’s all up to society
The people must become involved, NRC urges:
“How do citizens actually want to use AI — and how not? These are questions that may have seemed futuristic until now, but which people at all levels of society had better start discussing — and fast. ... The communities of the EU must continue to develop safety rules for artificial intelligence, while at the same time not unnecessarily restricting innovative industry. But too much depends on these societal questions to leave it to the EU and the tech companies to find answers. Beyond smart legislation, what we need above all is good citizenship in this AI revolution. That is something computers cannot accomplish for now.”
Protect children and youths
Berlingske casts a worried eye to the young in light of developments such as Snapchat’s My AI chatbot:
“In the case of Snapchat’s My AI we should react critically and cautiously, with a good dose of technology conservatism. ... We owe it to the younger generations to take a big step back from the exuberant tech enthusiasm that has prevailed in recent times. ... We need to remind the little ones every day that the best friends they carry through life are living, complex souls who don’t give a respond with a standard: ‘Hi, how can I help you’ answer.”
