The European Union is poised to enact the world's first comprehensive laws governing the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology, including OpenAI's popular chatbot ChatGPT. According to the proposed AI Act, companies that utilise AI tools will be required to reveal any copyrighted materials employed in the development of their systems. The regulation, which is being drafted by the European Commission, has been in the works for almost two years and is aimed at managing the potential risks associated with AI.
The AI tools will be categorised based on their perceived risk levels, from minimal to limited, high, and unacceptable. Among the areas of concern are biometric surveillance, misinformation, and discriminatory language. While high-risk tools will not be banned, their deployment will be subject to a high level of transparency in their operations.
The requirement to disclose copyrighted material used to develop AI systems was a late addition to the proposal, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Initially, some committee members proposed banning the use of copyrighted material to train generative AI models altogether, but this was abandoned in favour of a transparency requirement.
Svenja Hahn, a European Parliament deputy, said that the compromise reached by parliament would regulate AI proportionately, protect citizens' rights, foster innovation, and boost the economy. The proposed regulation is being discussed in the trialogue stage, where EU lawmakers and member states will hammer out the final details of the bill.
"Against conservative wishes for more surveillance and leftist fantasies of over-regulation, parliament found a solid compromise that would regulate AI proportionately, protect citizens' rights, as well as foster innovation and boost the economy," said Hahn.
In a matter of weeks, OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot saw unprecedented growth, becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history and attracting 100 million monthly active users. This led to a race among tech companies to bring generative AI products to market, causing concern among some observers. Twitter owner Elon Musk even backed a proposal to halt the development of such systems for six months.
As generative AI technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous, it is essential to regulate its use to protect citizens' rights and privacy. The proposed AI Act by the EU is a step in the right direction to ensure that companies using AI technology do so ethically and transparently.
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