The European Union (EU) on Tuesday formally approved the world's first landmark AI bill.Council of the European Union
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bill will come into force 20 days after it was unanimously passed and published in the EU Official Journal.
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Telecommunications Petra de Sutter said in a press release: “Today is indeed, without exaggeration, a historic day. We adopted the AI Act, the world's first law to guarantee human-centered, innovative and secure artificial intelligence to citizens and businesses. .”
The law will take a “risk-based approach” to regulation, meaning “the higher the risk, the stricter the rules.” To do this, the law will classify different systems and types of AI according to the risks they pose. The council also established governing bodies to ensure the law's implementation: an AI Office, a Scientific Committee of independent experts, an AI Committee, and an advisory forum for stakeholders. It will also address and regulate the use of general purpose AI models.
The Council of the EU and the European Parliament first agreed on an interim agreement on AI law in early December 2023. The law was then formally passed by Congress in March of this year. Tuesday's approval was the final hurdle before the law becomes law. The AI Act is the first of its kind and aims to “harmonize rules regarding artificial intelligence.”
The AI Act will “improve the functioning of the domestic market” by creating a “uniform legal framework” for AI systems, thereby improving the health, safety and fundamental rights of natural persons, especially protected individuals. Related protections will be created. According to the European Union's Charter of Fundamental Rights, “including democracy, the rule of law and environmental protection.” Importantly, the AI Act will ensure that artificial intelligence complies with important EU laws, including Articles 2 and 6 of the Treaty and Charter of the European Union.
Matthieu Michel, Belgian Secretary of State for digitalization, administrative simplification, privacy protection and building regulation, said: “The adoption of the AI Act is an important milestone for the European Union. The ground-breaking law, the first of its kind in the world, will also address global technological challenges and create opportunities for societies and economies.[.]”
