New EU Rules on AI: What You Need to Know

Living in a world where AI rules your life? Well, the EU have tried to prevent this from getting out of control. This is by introducing their first big set of regulations on artificial intelligence (AI). The EU AI Act now in effect will keep an eye on AI use with some heavy limitations. So, what's not allowed? Using AI for real-time facial recognition and biometric identification based on race, sexual orientation, and other traits. Social scoring systems are also banned. These limitations might be huge but unfortunately, it only goes so far. Why? Because law enforcement agencies and migration officials have specific exemptions which make the law seem very porous. Many people who are against AI think these exemptions give a lot of wiggle room and that the law won't do much good. It might be a bit of a reach to call it a total success but the EU has said the law will require some adjustments. Let's keep an eye if they follow it through. Italian politician Brando Benifei pointed out that the key focus of these bans is protecting democracies from AI related threats. Giant fines up to $35. 8 million or 7% of global annual revenue could apply if the rules are ignored. Another important voice is Nathalie Smuha, an assistant professor focusing on AI ethics at KU Leuven University. She thinks the law might not be strict enough to make a real difference. She also questions if a law with so many exceptions can even be called a prohibition. Clearly, it will be a test if this law passes the critical eye or not. One thing to note is that technology is always advancing. People are always thinking of ways to push legal boundaries. This means that any law on AI might need updates even more frequently than other types of laws. So these new AI rules that have just started, will not necessarily be the be-all and end-all at the end. There will be many changes to be made. Whether they will be enough is the million dollar question in this evolving world of AI ethics where the stakes are getting higher for each mistake. We need to think critically about this law and how it will affect our future.