The European Parliament has overwhelmingly approved the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, marking a groundbreaking step in AI regulation. The vote, which took place in Strasbourg, France, saw 523 lawmakers voting in favor, with 46 against and 49 abstentions.
European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton hailed the result, emphasizing that “Europe is now a global standard-setter in AI.” The Act represents the first comprehensive legal framework on AI globally and adopts a risk-based approach, imposing stricter regulations on higher-risk AI applications.
Key provisions of the AI Act include prohibitions on certain AI applications, such as biometric categorization systems based on sensitive characteristics and the untargeted scraping of facial images for recognition databases. Emotion recognition in workplaces and schools, social scoring, predictive policing, and AI designed to manipulate human behavior or exploit vulnerabilities are also prohibited.
For general-purpose AI (GPAI) systems, transparency requirements have been introduced, including compliance with EU copyright laws and the publication of detailed training data summaries. However, negotiations surrounding the Act revealed contentious issues, particularly regarding the treatment of biometric AI systems, which raised uncertainties within the industry.
Bird and Bird, an international law firm, highlighted complexities in the text that may pose challenges for businesses, especially regarding distinctions between GPAI models and high-risk systems. Dragos Tudorache, co-rapporteur of the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament, stressed the need to prioritize the implementation of the law.
The AI Act is expected to come into force in May following its publication in the official Journal, with full applicability within 24 months. Specific timelines are outlined for various aspects, including bans on prohibited practices, codes of practice, and obligations for high-risk systems.
