EU Approves First-of-its-Kind AI Regulation To Address High-Risk Technologies

European Union member states, on Tuesday, reached a final agreement on the world's first major law regulating artificial intelligence.

The EU Council announced its approval of the AI Act, a pioneering regulatory law establishing comprehensive guidelines for artificial intelligence technology.

The AI Act adopts a risk-based approach to artificial intelligence, which means that various applications of the technology are addressed differently based on the potential threats they pose to society.

The law bans AI applications deemed "unacceptable" due to high risk, including social scoring systems, predictive policing, and emotional recognition in workplaces and schools.

Mathieu Michel, Belgium’s secretary of state for digitisation said, “With the AI act, Europe emphasizes the importance of trust, transparency and accountability when dealing with new technologies while at the same time ensuring this fast-changing technology can flourish and boost European innovation.”