The EU AI Act Newsletter

The European Commission is currently recruiting Legal and Policy Officers for the European AI Office.

Analyses

Analysis of the 1st Code of Practice Draft: Yacine Jernite and Lucie-Aimée Kaffee from Hugging Face evaluated the proposed measures for AI Act Code of Practice for general-purpose AI. Jernite and Kaffee state that whilst the transparency measures are generally well-directed, requiring detailed documentation and performance evaluation, improvements are needed to increase public accessibility of information and adapt language for collaborative development settings. The copyright-related measures are deemed promising, particularly in their emphasis on stakeholder collaboration and standardisation. However, the authors raise concerns about potential fragmentation and the impact on smaller developers and copyright holders. The most significant criticism targets the proposed taxonomy of systemic risks, which is considered too narrowly focused on remote hazards whilst overlooking more immediate concerns. The authors suggest a restructured taxonomy addressing, for example, three key areas [...]

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Outline:

(00:16) Analyses

(07:03) Jobs

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First published:
December 16th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-67-more

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Independent experts have presented the initial draft of the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice and consultation on AI Act prohibitions and AI system definition is now open.

Legislative Process

First draft of the Code of Practice available now: Independent experts have presented the initial draft of the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice, having completed the first of four drafting rounds scheduled before April 2025. This draft was discussed with approximately a thousand stakeholders, including EU Member State representatives and international observers, in dedicated working group meetings. The document, facilitated by the European AI Office, was developed by appointed Chairs and Vice-Chairs of four thematic working groups, incorporating input from general-purpose AI model providers and considering international approaches. The draft outlines guiding principles and objectives, with open questions highlighting areas for further development. The final Code will establish rules for transparency and copyright compliance for providers of general-purpose AI [...]

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Outline:

(00:20) Legislative Process

(04:58) Analyses

(10:34) Jobs

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First published:
December 2nd, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-66-huge

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Ireland's Minister of State Dara Calleary has published a list of nine national public authorities responsible for protecting fundamental rights under the EU AI Act.

Legislative Process

Ireland publishes list of public authorities: Ireland's Minister of State Dara Calleary has published a list of nine national public authorities responsible for protecting fundamental rights under the AI Act. These authorities will receive additional powers to perform their existing responsibilities when AI poses high risks to fundamental rights, including access to mandatory documentation from AI system developers and deployers. The named authorities include An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Coimisiún na Meán, Data Protection Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Financial Services & Pensions Ombudsman, Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission, Ombudsman, Ombudsman for Children and Ombudsman for the Defence Forces. The list fulfils Ireland's first obligation under the AI Act.

Italy's approach to implementation: Luca Bertuzzi, Senior AI Correspondent at MLex, reported that [...]

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Outline:

(00:20) Legislative Process

(02:43) Analysis

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First published:
November 12th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-65-free

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The European Commission is seeking feedback on a draft act regarding the establishment of a scientific panel of independent experts under the AI Act.

Legislative Process

Implementing act on scientific panel: The European Commission is seeking feedback on a draft act regarding the establishment of a scientific panel of independent experts under the AI Act. This panel will advise and assist the AI Office and national market surveillance authorities in implementing and enforcing the Act. The feedback period runs from 18 October to 15 November, lasting four weeks. All feedback received will be published on the site and must comply with established feedback rules. The collected input will be considered when finalising the initiative, which sets out rules for the establishment and operation of this panel.

McNamara and Benifei to lead AI Act monitoring: Cynthia Kroet, Senior EU Policy Reporter at Euronews, reported that the European Parliament has [...]

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Outline:

(00:19) Legislative Process

(02:57) Analysis

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First published:
October 28th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-64-draft

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First Code of Practice plenary for general-purpose AI was on 30 September, revealing disagreements between GPAI providers and other stakeholders.

Legislative Process

Euractiv's tech journalist Jacob Wulff Wold reported that the European Commission held its first Code of Practice plenary for general-purpose AI (GPAI) on 30 September. The Commission shared a list of chairs and vice-chairs for working groups drafting the Code and welcomed nearly 1,000 participants to the virtual plenary. The drafting process will incorporate input from a multi-stakeholder consultation, workshops with GPAI providers and chairs/vice-chairs, and Code of Practice plenaries. The first draft is expected around 3 November, with the final version due in April 2025. Preliminary results from the stakeholder consultation, which received almost 430 submissions, were presented at the plenary. The consultation revealed differing opinions on data disclosure and risk assessment measures between GPAI providers and other stakeholders. The Commission received diverse input, with [...]

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Outline:

(00:20) Legislative Process

(01:32) Analysis

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First published:
October 14th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-63-standards

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The European Commission collects over 100 AI Pact signatures and an online kick-off plenary for the general-purpose AI code of practice is scheduled for 30 September.

Legislative Process

Over a hundred companies sign AI Pact pledges: The European Commission has announced over a hundred initial signatories to the AI Pact, including multinational corporations and SMEs from various sectors. The Pact supports voluntary adherence to the AI Act principles before its official implementation and deepens engagement between the AI Office and stakeholders. Signatories commit to at least three core actions: developing an AI governance strategy to comply with the Act, mapping high-risk AI systems, and promoting AI literacy among staff. More than half of the participants have also pledged to ensure human oversight, mitigate risks and transparently label certain AI-generated content. The Pact remains open for companies to join and commit to both the core and additional pledges until [...]

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Outline:

(00:22) Legislative Process

(04:05) Analysis

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First published:
September 30th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-62-ai-pact

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Comparison of the Council of Europe's AI convention with the AI Act. The AI Office receives nearly 1,000 expressions of interest to participate in the code of practice.

Legislative Process

Strong interest for the first general-purpose AI code of practice: The AI Office has received nearly 1,000 expressions of interest from organisations and individuals worldwide to participate in drafting the first General-Purpose AI Code of Practice. The drafting process will commence with an online kick-off plenary on 30 September. The AI Office is currently verifying applicant eligibility based on submitted and public information, with participation confirmations to follow in due time. The Code will detail AI Act rules for the providers of general-purpose AI models, including those with systemic risks. A multi-stakeholder consultation, with submissions due by 18 September, will inform the drafting process.

Controversy over the hiring of a lead scientific adviser for AI: Euractiv's Tech [...]

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Outline:

(00:21) Legislative Process

(03:22) Analysis

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First published:
September 16th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-61-council

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Turing Award-winning AI expert Yoshua Bengio recommends that the EU take inspiration from the California AI safety bill as they implement their own AI regulation.

Analysis

California bill could enhance EU AI Act: Euractiv's Jacob Wulff Wold reported on the California bill, Senate Bill (SB) 1047, which would require the developers of AI models trained with more than $100 million in computing resources to follow and disclose a Safety and Security Plan (SSP) aimed at preventing critical harm. SB 1047 defines critical harm as incidents causing mass casualties or material damages exceeding $500 million. Prominent figures like Yoshua Bengio, the Turing Award-winning AI expert, have praised the bill, recommending that the EU take inspiration from it as they implement their own AI regulation, the AI Act. The European Commission has been closely monitoring the Californian bill and has met with Senate representatives in early summer to exchange views. [...]

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First published:
September 2nd, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-60-california

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The general-purpose AI consultation deadline has been extended to 18 September upon the request of a coalition of eleven tech industry associations.

Legislative Process

General-purpose AI consultation deadline extended: According to Euractiv's Eliza Gkritsi, a group of eleven tech industry associations requested the European Commission to extend the deadline for submitting inputs on the Code of Practice for general-purpose AI. In a letter dated 8 August, the group argued that the six-week consultation period, scheduled for the middle of summer, restricted their ability to provide meaningful input. They were seeking a minimum two-week extension. The associations, representing companies from the EU and US, included industry groups like Allied for Startups, the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union and several national tech associations from France, Germany and Poland. Signatories included organisations representing big tech companies such as Google, Meta, Oracle, Amazon, Microsoft and Samsung. The appeal was [...]

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Outline:

(00:18) Legislative Process

(01:37) Analyses

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First published:
August 19th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-59-key-deadline

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On 1 August the EU AI Act took effect. It aims to promote responsible AI development and deployment in the EU.

Legislative Process

AI Act enters into force: On 1 August, the EU AI Act took effect, aiming to promote responsible AI development and deployment in the EU. Initially proposed in April 2021 and agreed upon by the European Parliament and the Council in December 2023, the Act addresses potential risks to citizens' health, safety, and fundamental rights. It sets clear requirements for AI developers and deployers while minimising administrative and financial burdens on businesses. The Act introduces a uniform framework across EU countries, employing a risk-based approach:
1) Minimal risk: systems like spam filters face no obligations but may voluntarily adopt codes of conduct;
2) Specific transparency risk: systems like chatbots must inform users they are interacting with machines, and AI-generated content must be labelled [...]

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Outline:

(00:18) Legislative Process

(04:58) Analyses

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First published:
August 5th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-58-eu-ai

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EU AI Act's compliance costs and lack of clarity cause concern among tech start-ups ahead of next week's entry into force.

Legislative Process

It is official! The EU AI Act has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union. It will now enter into force on 1 August.

Parliament's possible oversight body: According to Euractiv's Eliza Gkritsi and Théophane Hartmann, the European Parliament is considering establishing a monitoring group for the implementation of the AI Act. MEPs have voiced concerns about the European Commission's approach to key tasks. Brando Benifei, formerly a rapporteur on the Act, announced plans to formalise a parliamentary monitoring group, in which he expects to play a leading role. Benifei warned of potential risks if the Commission fails to implement the Act properly, particularly regarding transparency provisions. Some MEPs have urged the Commission to involve civil society in developing codes of practice [...]

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Outline:

(00:16) Legislative Process

(02:40) Analyses

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First published:
July 22nd, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-57-bad-for

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Members of the European Parliament sent a letter to the AI Office asking for greater inclusion of civil society and other stakeholders in the drafting of codes of practice for general-purpose AI.

Legislative Process

MEPs have questions about the codes of practice process: POLITICO's Morning Tech published a letter (unfortunately behind a paywall) by MEPs Brando Benifei, Svenja Hahn, Katerina Konečná, Sergey Lagodinsky, Kim Van Sparrentak, Axel Voss and Kosma Złotowski urging the EU's AI Office to include civil society in the drafting of rules for powerful AI models. In the letter, they express concern that the Commission plans initially to involve only AI model providers, potentially allowing them to define these practices themselves. The MEPs argue this approach could undermine the development of a robust, globally influential code of practice for general-purpose AI models. They stress the importance of an inclusive process involving diverse voices from companies [...]

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Outline:

(00:21) Legislative Process

(03:37) Analyses

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First published:
July 8th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-56-general

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The AI Board met for the first time to lay the groundwork for the implementation of the AI Act.

Legislative Process

AI Board's first meeting: The inaugural meeting of the upcoming AI Board convened on 19 June at the European Commission building, ahead of the AI Act's formal entry into force expected in early August. The gathering aimed to lay the groundwork for the Act's implementation, focusing on strategic vision, national governance approaches, initial deliverables, and organisational matters such as the Board's mandate and leadership selection. Attendees included high-level delegates from all EU Member States, European Commission representatives, and the European Data Protection Supervisor as an observer. EEA/EFTA members Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland also attended in an observing [...]

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Outline:

(00:27) Legislative Process

(01:34) Analyses

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First published:
June 25th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-55-first

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The AI Office is hiring seconded national experts who could be responsible for carrying out innovation, supervision and enforcement tasks.

AI Office

Seconded national experts to be hired for Policy Specialists: The EU AI Office has put out a call for Seconded National Experts who can become Policy Specialists. The seconded national experts could be responsible for carrying out innovation, supervision and enforcement-relevant tasks for the AI Office. The deadline is 25 July. Joining the AI Office presents an opportunity to oversee general-purpose AI models and ensure they adhere to the requirements of the AI Act. As part of the team, the candidates will act as a liaisons to the scientific community, aid in enforcing the Act, and establish the AI Office as a global benchmark. The role also involves fostering collaboration with similar institutions in other juristictions to advance understanding of AI governance. Requirements include three years [...]

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Outline:

(00:18) AI Office

(04:12) Analyses

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First published:
June 10th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-54-ai-office

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The Council of the EU approved the AI Act and the law will now enter into force very soon.

Legislative Process

AI Act is finally adopted: The Council of the EU approved the AI Act on 21 May. This legislation, the first of its kind in the world, adopts a 'risk-based' approach, imposing stricter regulations on AI systems with higher potential to harm society. The Act aims to standardise AI rules, potentially setting a global standard for AI regulation. Its primary goal is to promote the development and adoption of safe and trustworthy AI systems within the EU's single market, ensuring they respect fundamental rights while fostering investment and innovation. However, the Act exempts certain areas such as military and defence applications, and research purposes. Mathieu Michel, Belgian Secretary of State for digitisation, administrative simplification, privacy protection and building regulation, highlights the Act's emphasis on trust, transparency and [...]

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Outline:

(00:15) Legislative Process

(01:36) Analyses

(05:26) AI Office

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First published:
May 28th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-53-the-law

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Navigate the AI Act final text with free new search, chat and contents tools.

Legislative Process

The AI Pact has kicked off: The AI Pact, an initiative by the European Commission, urges organisations to prepare for the AI Act's implementation. While some provisions of the Act will take effect shortly after its adoption, others apply after a transitional period. The AI Pact encourages early compliance with the Act's requirements. Pillar I focuses on community engagement and sharing best practices. Workshops by the AI Office and collaborative efforts aim to help participants understand their responsibilities and prepare for implementation. Pillar II enables companies to make voluntary commitments towards transparency and meet high-risk requirements, with pledges detailing concrete actions and timelines. Organisations will be asked to report regularly on their commitments, which are published to enhance accountability and confidence in AI technologies. The Commission supports participants in understanding the AI [...]

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Outline:

(00:16) Legislative Process

(01:25) Analyses

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First published:
May 14th, 2024

Source:
https://artificialintelligenceact.substack.com/p/the-eu-ai-act-newsletter-52-free

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