EU Adopts AI Act
Yesterday, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to approve the EU AI Act. 523 MEPs voted in favour of the regulation, with 46 against and 49 abstentions. The landmark vote by the Parliament marks the end of a long process to introduce wide-ranging rules to govern AI.
Rules to govern AI on a EU-wide level were first proposed in 2021. Senior EU officials have argued that the new regulation’s risk-based approach will protect citizens from technological risks, while also fostering innovation.
The EU’s high-risk/tiered approach to AI regulation:
- Unacceptable risk – existential threats that endanger the lives of citizens
- High risk – critical infrastructures that could put the life and health of citizens at risk, education or vocational training and safety components of products
- Limited risk – AI systems with risk of manipulation or deceit
- Minimal risk – AI systems that do not fall under the above-mentioned categories, but carry some level of risk
The new Act addresses the following areas:
- Manipulation
- Vulnerable groups
- Biometrics
- Social scoring
- Criminal profiling
- Facial recognition
The Act will enter into force on the 20th day following publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It will be fully applicable after 2024 months.
Key dates:
- 6 months: prohibitions on unacceptable risk AI become applicable
- 12 months: obligations for general purpose AI governance become applicable
- 24 months: all AI Act rules become applicable, including obligations for high-risk systems
- 36 months: obligations for all other high-risk systems apply
techUK - Putting AI into Action
techUK’s Putting AI into Action campaign serves as a one stop shop for showcasing the opportunities and benefits of AI adoption across sectors and markets.
During this campaign, techUK will run a regular drumbeat of activity, including events, reports, and insights, to demonstrate some of the most significant opportunities for AI adoption in 2024, as well as working with key stakeholders to identify and address current barriers to adoption.
Visit our AI Adoption Hub to learn more, or find our latest activity below.
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Contact the team
Usman Ikhlaq
Usman Ikhlaq
Usman joined techUK in January 2024 as Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence.
His role is to help techUK members of all sizes and across all sectors to adopt AI at scale. This includes identifying the barriers to adoption, considering solutions and how best to maximise AI's potential.
Prior to joining techUK, Usman worked as a policy, government affairs and public affairs professional in the advertising sector. He has also worked in sales and marketing and FinTech.
Usman is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science (MSc), BPP Law School (GDL and LLB) and Queen Mary University of London (BA).
When he isn’t working, Usman enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He also has a keen interest in running, reading and travelling.
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