The reforms, which amend the AI Act and several other privacy and tech-related laws, would also cut back on website pop-ups asking permission to use cookies and reduce documentation requirements for small and medium-sized businesses. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said the changes, which need to be approved by representatives of the 27 EU member states, would boost European competitiveness by simplifying rules about AI, cybersecurity and data protection. "We have talent, infrastructure, a large internal single market. But our companies, especially our start-ups and small businesses, are often held back by layers of rigid rules," Virkkunen said. Lobby groups for tech giants in the United States, where President Donald Trump's administration has been a vocal critic of Europe's regulatory approach, welcomed the move, while lamenting that the measures did not go far enough.

It started with a single tweet in November 2019. David Heinemeier Hansson, a high-profile tech entrepreneur, lashed out at Apple's newly launched credit card, calling it "sexist" for offering his wife a credit limit 20 times lower than his own. The allegations spread like wildfire, with Hansson stressing that artificial intelligence – now widely used to make lending decisions – was to blame. "It does not matter what the intent of individual Apple reps are, it matters what THE ALGORITHM they've placed their complete faith in does. And what it does is discriminate. While Apple and its underwriters Goldman Sachs were ultimately cleared by US regulators of violating fair lending rules last year, it rekindled a wider debate around AI use across public and private industries. Politicians in the European Union are now planning to introduce the first comprehensive global template for regulating AI, as institutions increasingly automate routine tasks in an attempt to boost efficiency and ...

As the European Union moves toward banning “unacceptable” uses of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, its proposed rules could slow the adoption of AI in banking and financial services. Image: Carl Campbell/Unsplash Proposed rules released by the EU last week put stringent controls on the use of AI systems for surveillance and “applications that manipulate human […]

The European Union's top court has ruled that ride-hailing service Uber should be regulated like a taxi company, a decision that could change the way it functions across the continent. Barney Harford, former CEO of Orbitz, joins Uber as its first COO. SAN FRANCISCO -- Uber named its first-ever chief operating officer Wednesday, a move designed to remake the upper ranks of the ride-hailing company as it grapples with fallout from its previous leadership. Barney Harford, the former CEO of travel company Orbitz, takes up his position January 2 as second-in-command to recently installed CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, a onetime rival and colleague from both men's tenures in the online travel business. Harford has been working at Uber as an advisor to Khosrowshahi since October, and will oversee global operations, marketing and customer support.

The European Parliament has voted on a resolution to regulate the development of artificial intelligence and robotics across the European Union. Based on a raft of recommendations drafted in a report submitted in January to the legal affairs committee, the proposed rules include establishing ethical standards for the development of artificial intelligence, and introducing an insurance scheme to cover liability for accidents involving driverless cars.