Information technology EU puts rules for dealing with AI into force
New rules for dealing with artificial intelligence (AI) will come into force in the European Union on Sunday. According to the EU's AI Act, AI systems that pose "unacceptable risks" to safety, health or fundamental rights are prohibited.
01.02.2025, 13:45
SDA
For example, the EU prohibits the use of AI programs that assess social behavior. In social scoring, for example, citizens in China are divided into behavioral categories and rewarded or punished. In the EU, there should also be no emotion recognition in the workplace or in educational institutions.
Long list
Manipulative AI systems that use deceptive techniques to influence people's behavior are still not permitted. This group includes, for example, voice-controlled toys that tempt children to behave dangerously.
The EU's ban list also includes AI systems that exploit the weakness of people or groups. This also includes automated "robo-calls" that can be used to defraud older people.
Facial recognition in public spaces should also not be permitted in principle. However, there are exceptions: Police and other security authorities should be allowed to use such facial recognition in order to prosecute certain crimes such as human trafficking and terrorism.
Deadline February 2
With the deadline of February 2, 2025, companies that develop or use AI must assess their systems according to the degree of risk and take appropriate measures to meet the legal requirements. According to the EU Commission, the aim of the new regulation is not only to protect consumer rights. It also wants to ensure that AI is used responsibly.
Providers and operators of AI systems must now also ensure that all persons involved in the development or operation of AI systems have a sufficient level of "AI competence".
The President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, admitted in a joint blog post that Europe's competitiveness is at risk. "As a global artificial intelligence revolution unfolds, the EU could be left behind." However, Europe also has the necessary prerequisites to catch up in the technological race, wrote von der Leyen and Lagarde.
