Amidst skeptical voices from nations like France and Germany, Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s executive vice-president, has defended the proposed Artificial Intelligence Act. In a statement given to The Financial Times, she said that the AI Act would “not harm innovation and research, but actually enhance it”. The EU Competition Chief added that the AI Act “creates predictability and legal certainty in the market when things are put to use.”
With the AI Act, the European Union plans to put some strict rules on the makers of generative AI models which include companies like OpenAI. Although the AI Act has found its supporters and got approval this month, some nations, like France, Germany, and Italy, are opposed to it. They may want some changes in the Act before it is given the final shape. The Artificial Intelligence Act still needs to be ratified by the member states in the coming month before it is passed as a law.
The French President’s Concerns Over AI Act
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, recently spoke about his concerns over the legislation risks for the European technology companies whom he fears would suffer when compared to their US and China-based rivals. According to him, EU’s regulation could be “much faster and much stronger” than the major competitors, but they will be regulating things “that we will no longer produce or invent. This is never a good idea.”
After Macron spoke thus recently, Vestager has now come to the defense of the rules the AI Act would enforce. “If you do foundational models, but also if you want to apply foundational models, you know exactly what you are going to look for once it is put into use. It is important that you do not have any regulatory over-reach, that innovation and research is promoted again.”, she said in the statement given to The Financial Times.
Investment and Usage Amongst Masses Would Shape Up AI Technology: EU Competition Chief
Vestager said that she is aware of the fact that European firms are less fortunate than their US counterparts in AI development as the rivals have a better financial backing from VC investors. As such, she also voiced that regulation on AI models was not the only answer. She said in the statement that though regulation would create trust in the market, both investment and how people embrace a particular AI technology are also of vital importance.
EU’s AI Strategy
The European Union plans to proceed with the AI regulation in two ways. With the first approach, it will target the general-purpose AI foundational models such as those created by companies like OpenAI and bind the companies legally with a certain level of transparency. The other, stricter approach is reserved for firms trying to implement their AI models in sectors like those of healthcare that require a closer scrutiny. With the AI Act, the EU also plans to mostly restrict the use of facial recognition technology to law enforcement and similar sectors.