European politicians in two key committees have approved new rules to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) ahead of a landmark vote that could pave the way for the world's first legislation on the technology. On Tuesday, two committees in the European Parliament – on civil liberties and consumer protection – overwhelmingly endorsed the provisional legislation to ensure that AI complies with the protection of "fundamental rights". A vote in the legislative assembly is scheduled for April. The AI Act will aim to set guardrails on a technology being used in several industries, ranging from banking and cars to electronic products and airlines, as well as for security and police purposes. "At the same time, it aims to boost innovation and establishing Europe as a leader in the AI field," the parliament said in a statement.

Switzerland will become the first country in the world to hold a nationwide referendum on the introduction of a basic income on Sunday. The proposal, if passed, would give every adult legally resident in Switzerland an unconditional income of 2,500 Swiss francs ( 1,755; 2,554) a month, whether they work or not. Supporters point to the fact that 21st-Century work is increasingly automated, with more and more traditional jobs, in factories, retail and even in finance and accounting, being done by machines. And they do not need salaries. The campaign has staged some eyecatching demonstrations, including one in which hundreds of "robots" danced through the streets of Zurich, promising to "free" humans from the daily grind of Monday to Friday work, just to pay the bills. "The robots are saying'we don't want to grab your work and make you suffer'," said campaigner Che Wagner.