Are you ready for the EU’s new AI Act?
The first-ever comprehensive legal framework on artificial intelligence, the EU's AI Act, came into force on the 1st August, 2024. This landmark regulation positions Europe to play a leading global role in AI development and deployment. The AI Act aims to provide AI developers and deployers with clear requirements and obligations for specific AI uses. Additionally, it seeks to reduce administrative and financial burdens for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The new rules aim to foster trustworthy AI in Europe and beyond by ensuring that AI systems respect fundamental rights, safety, and ethical principles, while also addressing the risks posed by very powerful and impactful AI models.
But why do we need rules on AI?
The AI Act ensures that Europeans can trust what AI has to offer. While most AI systems pose limited to no risk and can contribute to solving many societal challenges, certain AI systems create risks that need to be addressed to avoid undesirable outcomes. Although existing legislation provides some protection, it is insufficient to address the specific challenges posed by AI systems.
What does this mean for standardisation?
The AI Act is good news for the standardisation community. It ensures that standards developed by standards development organisations, once recognised by the European Commission, will grant a presumption of conformity with European AI rules. This makes it easier for industry to ensure technical compliance with the AI legislation.
In May last year, the European Commission published their first standardisation request to prepare the technical grounds that will help operationalise the AI rules. However, this does not mean that harmonised standards will always be European standards. International standards can also be used to propose harmonised standards, as long as they are aligned with the objectives of the AI legislation.
To learn more about the EU’s AI Act, watch the video below:
To read about the European AI Office, please visit European AI Office | Shaping Europe’s digital future (europa.eu)
