Google and the European Commission agreed to work together to regulate AI. The European Commission (EC) industry chief Thierry Breton called the collaboration with Alphabet a voluntary pact to establish AI rules.
As AI is taking over different industries and pegging itself into our everyday life, governments must be quick to establish regulations to prevent unwanted damages and abuses. After the US administration called for the public’s opinion on regulating AI, the European Commission is now forming a coalition with a US tech giant to establish and enforce AI rules in the continent.
The EC industry chief Thierry Breton and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai have met in Brussels to discuss AI regulations. The EU wants to form a coalition that consists of both European and non-European companies.
“Sundar and I agreed that we cannot afford to wait until AI regulation actually becomes applicable and to work together with all AI developers to already develop an AI pact on a voluntary basis ahead of the legal deadline,” Breton said. He asked the EU members and lawmakers to finish working on AI rules by the end of the year.
Google and the European Commission will work together to regulate AI
Besides Breton, the EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager also met with Pichai to discuss the AI regulations. She asked for “voluntary agreement on universal rules for AI” while emphasizing on finalizing the EU’s proposed AI Act. Vestager also announced a partnership with the United States to establish minimum standards for AI.
The EU has already introduced its so-called “AI Act,” which aims to be the first AI regulation pack in the world. The proposed bill would ban biometric surveillance, emotion recognition, and predictive policing AI systems. It also gives the right to people to file complaints against AI systems. However, the bill still has a long way ahead to become a rule in the continent.
Most EU concerns about AI revolve around disinformation, copyright infringements, governance, and transparency. The EU’s partnership with the US over regulating AI could be finalized by the end of this year and come into effect over a short period of time.