The global battle over the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) is just beginning, and it is already proving the challenge that policy makers around the world have in understanding and regulating the fast-advancing technology. Europe’s attempt to institute AI regulations, in particular, is a demonstration of just how difficult it can be to create an effective framework.
The European Parliament is engaged in a long and arduous process as it struggles to reach an agreement on the proposed new AI laws. Dan Nechita, the head of cabinet for one of the two rapporteurs leading the negotiations, decided the key issue is to define AI, followed by a debate over which applications should be categorized as high-risk and receive extra transparency requirements.
The European Parliament’s AI agreement is expected to include an outright ban on some uses of AI, such as predictive policing, and the extra transparency requirements for high-risk applications, such as in border control. If the members of the European Parliament approve it, the agreement will then need to be negotiated with EU member states.
This process highlights the pressing task of many policy makers worldwide – finding the balance between reaping rewards from AI and protecting citizens from potential risks. Mathias Spielkamp, co-founder of AlgorithmWatch, highlights how this is a political question and not one that should be left in the hands of technologists.
How the EU is setting a precedent for regulating AI is being closely watched everywhere. Already, the EU’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) has been adopted by many other countries, showing that Europe’s policies can have a lasting impact on the wider world.
The CITRIS Policy Lab, led by Brandie Nonnecke at the University of California Berkeley, sees this situation as an opportunity to lead in setting the ethical standard for AI usage, protecting vulnerable populations and driving innovation.
Dan Nechita is the leader of one of the two rapporteurs currently negotiating the EU’s new AI law. He has spent the past year traveling between Brussels and Strasbourg, hammering out compromises in oftentimes tense discussions. His leadership and dedication serves as an important example of the demands placed upon policy makers everywhere in the global battle to regulate AI.
