European Parliament approves world's first AI law

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 14 - Europe has reached the finishing line of the AI Act, a monumental framework of rules on artificial intelligence that make the EU the world's leader in the regulation of the new technology.
    With a huge majority, the European Parliament gave final approval to the AI Act, which will now have to be adopted by the European Council before becoming law. That is a formality after EU ambassadors last month gave the all clear, overcoming the last resistance to the law.
    The framework of rules for the development, introduction onto the market and use of AI systems in the EU is held up by a delicate balance between the drive for innovation and the protection of human rights, democracy, the rule of law and environmental sustainability.
    The risk-based approach adopted by the legislation, under which a series of obligations are given AI system developers and providers on the basis of the different levels of risk identified, is innovative.
    When the risk is unacceptable, bans kick in.
    This is the case, for example, of manipulative techniques, predictive policing and emotion recognition, which have been banned in schools and places of work.
    And then there is the case of facial recognition, which is allowed only for law-enforcement authorities and subject to strict conditions.
    Another new element is the section devoted to generative AI, which was inserted midway with the aim of giving an initial response to the concerns raised by the extremely fast spread of systems such as ChatGPT.
    "Democracy 1 - Lobby 0" Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton posted with satisfaction on X after remaining unbowed by pressure from Paris, which wanted a lighter hand on generative AI to promote the rising stars of French business, Mistral first and foremost.
    X was awash with enthusiastic comments on the vote, starting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said the new rules would be "a model for reliable AI all over the world".
    European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said he was "proud" on behalf of the MEPs for an act "that combines leadership, innovation and the respect for fundamental rights".
    Rome toasted the vote too, with Undersecretary Alessio Butti lauding the "serious, silent" work of the Meloni government to "make prevail the Italian line aiming for certain, slender rules, instead of simple self-regulation by the companies".
    The co-rapporteur of the AI Act, Brando Benifei, saw things differently, saying the Italian government had been "very absent and sometimes confused" during the negotiations.
    Aside from the political friction, the head of the Democratic Party (PD) delegation in the parliament said it had been a "historic day", stressing that the final text "reflects the priorities of the European Parliament a great deal, something that does not happen very often".
    Italy's ruling majority and opposition parties voted in favour, with the exception of the 5-Star Movement (M5S), which warned of the risk of creating "entry barriers, increasing divides and discouraging European innovation".
    This was not the only critical voice.
    Amnesty International said it was "disappointing" that the EU had given "priority to the interests of industry and the forces of law enforcement over the protection of human rights".
    Business Europe called for the EU to support "companies that innovate" and to facilitate "access to capital and funding for the development of AI".
    This is because Europe still has lots of ground to make up in the AI race. (ANSA).