The European Union has moved a step closer to enacting the most comprehensive guardrails on the fast-developing world of artificial intelligence (AI). Members of the European Parliament on Wednesday endorsed a provisional agreement on AI rules, the world’s first legislation on a technology used in banking, internet-connected devices, smart homes and cars. It would also place the first restrictions on generative AI tools, which captured the world’s attention last year with the popularity of ChatGPT. As talks reached the final stretch last year, the French and German governments pushed back against some of the strictest ideas for regulating generative AI, arguing that the rules will hurt European start-ups such as France’s Mistral AI and Germany’s Aleph Alpha. In practice, the office will be the key enforcer, with the ability to request information from companies developing generative AI and possibly ban a system from operating in the bloc.

Source: The Irish Times March 13, 2024 17:12 UTC