Following months of intense negotiations, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have bridged their difference and reached a provisional political deal on the world’s first Artificial Intelligence rulebook.
The AI Act is a flagship legislative proposal to regulate Artificial Intelligence based on its potential to cause harm. The European Parliament is now inching toward formalising its position on the file, after EU lawmakers reached a political agreement on Thursday (27 April).
The text might still be subject to minor adjustments at the technical level ahead of a key committee vote scheduled on 11 May, but it is expected to go to a plenary vote in mid-June.
“We have a deal now in which all groups will have to support the compromise without the possibility of tabling alternative amendments,” a European Parliament official told EURACTIV.
Until the last moments, the EU lawmakers were horse-trading on some of the most controversial parts of the proposal.
General Purpose AI
How to deal with AI systems that do not have a specific purpose has been a heatedly-debated topic in the discussion. The MEPs confirmed previous proposals to put stricter obligations on foundation models, a sub-category of General Purpose AI that includes the likes of ChatGPT.
The only significant last-minute change was on generative AI models, which would have to be designed and developed in accordance with EU law and fundamental rights, including freedom of expression.
