‘Setting the standard’: EU unveils plan to rein in risky AI uses

European Union officials unveiled proposals Wednesday for reining in high-risk uses of artificial intelligence such as live facial scanning that could threaten people’s safety or rights. They also would ban artificial intelligence outright in a few cases considered too risky, such as “social scoring” systems that judge people based on their behaviour and physical traits. “By setting the standards, we can pave the way for ethical technology worldwide and ensure that the EU remains competitive along the way.” The proposals also include a prohibition in principle on controversial “remote biometric identification”, such as the use of live facial recognition to pick people out of crowds in real time, because “there is no room for mass surveillance in our society”, Vestager said in a media briefing. EU officials, trying to catch up with the Chinese and American tech industry, said the rules would encourage the industry’s growth by raising trust in artificial intelligence systems and by introducing legal clarity for companies that use AI.