European lawmakers overwhelmingly vote for AI regulation

European lawmakers have given their seal of approval to a preliminary agreement concerning the world’s pioneering set of regulations governing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

The EU AI Act, a culmination of three years of effort, is designed to safeguard fundamental rights, democracy, and environmental sustainability while simultaneously fostering innovation and positioning Europe as a leader in the AI sector. It outlines specific obligations for AI systems based on their potential risks and impact levels.

The legislation received strong backing in the European Parliament, with 523 votes in favor, 46 against, and 49 abstentions. The next stage involves formal endorsement by EU member states in May, with full implementation expected by 2026 after an introductory phase in 2025.

The new rules prohibit certain AI applications that pose a threat to citizens’ rights. This includes biometric categorization systems using sensitive characteristics and the indiscriminate scraping of facial images for facial recognition databases. Other banned practices include emotion recognition in workplaces and schools, social scoring, and predictive policing solely based on profiling or personal characteristics. Additionally, AI that manipulates human behavior or exploits vulnerabilities is also forbidden.

Furthermore, the legislation imposes restrictions on the use of biometric identification systems by law enforcement in public spaces, allowing their use only when strict safeguards are met.

The EU AI Act mandates transparency requirements for General-purpose AI (GPAI) systems and their underlying models. This includes compliance with EU copyright laws and the publication of detailed summaries of the training data used. More potent GPAI models, which may pose systemic risks, will undergo rigorous evaluations, risk assessments, and incident reporting.

Companies found in violation of the regulations face fines ranging from 1.5 to 7 percent of their global turnover.

Thierry Breton, the EU’s industry chief, praised the European Parliament’s overwhelming support for the EU AI Act, calling it the world’s first comprehensive and binding framework for trustworthy AI. He emphasized Europe’s role as a global leader in establishing standards for trustworthy AI.