Europe reaches an agreement for a first law on AI

On December 8, 2023, the European Union (EU) reached a political agreement on the world's first law on artificial intelligence (AI). The law, known as the AI Law, establishes a framework for the development and use of AI in the EU.

The law aims to ensure that AI is developed and used safely, ethically and responsibly. It prohibits the use of AI for specific purposes, such as facial recognition in public spaces without the consent of individuals, and establishes transparency and accountability requirements for AI systems.

The law is divided into two parts:

• The first part establishes the general principles that should govern the development and use of AI in the EU. These principles include security, fairness, transparency and accountability.
• The second part establishes specific requirements for AI systems that are considered high risk. These systems include systems that are used to make automated decisions that affect individuals, such as hiring or granting loans.

High-risk AI systems must meet the following requirements:

• They must be designed and developed in a safe and ethical manner.
• They should be subject to an AI Impact Assessment (AIIA) before deployment.
• They must be transparent in their operation and must allow individuals to understand how decisions that affect them are made.
• They must be reliable and must also be able to explain their decisions.

The law also establishes an AI oversight body, the European AI Agency (AIA). The AIA will be responsible for monitoring compliance with the law and issuing guidelines on its application.

The law is an important milestone in AI regulation. It is the first global law to establish a framework for the safe, ethical and responsible development and use of AI.

The AI Law will have a significant impact on the development and use of AI in the EU. This law will help ensure that AI is developed and used in a safe, ethical and responsible manner, thereby helping to protect individuals from the potential risks of AI, such as discrimination and bias.

The law will also help promote innovation in AI, despite what some companies say, because by establishing a clear framework for the development and use of AI, companies will be able to safely and responsibly invest in this technology.

The AI Law has been met with positive reactions from advocates of AI regulation. Proponents of regulation argue that the law is necessary to protect individuals from the potential risks of AI.

However, the law has also been criticized by some others. Some critics argue that the law is too restrictive and could inhibit innovation in AI. This is always the position of large companies, which do not want anyone to place any type of limit on their operations.

Overall, I think the AI Act is an important step in AI regulation, and hopefully it will help ensure that AI is developed and used safely, ethically, and responsibly.

And of course I think that all countries should take similar measures as soon as possible.