EU Act 'must empower those affected by AI systems to take action'

Independent research organistion the Ada Lovelace Institute has published a series of proposals on how the European Union (EU) can amend its forthcoming Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) to empower those affected by the technology on both an individual and collective level. The proposed amendments also aim to expand and reshape the meaning of "risk" within the regulation, which the Institute has said should be based on "reasonably foreseeable" purpose and extend beyond its current focus on individual rights and safety to also include systemic and environmental risks. "Regulating AI is a difficult legal challenge, so the EU should be congratulated for being the first to come out with a comprehensive framework," said Alexandru Circiumaru, European public policy lead at the Ada Lovelace Institute. "However, the current proposals can and should be improved, and there is an opportunity for EU policymakers to significantly strengthen the scope and effectiveness of this landmark legislation." As it currently stands, the AIA, which was published by the European Commission (EC) on 21 April 2021, adopts a risk-based, market-led approach to regulating the technology, focusing on establishing rules around the use of "high-risk" and "prohibited" AI practices.