New AI regulations

European Union officials unveiled tough proposals yesterday to curb high-risk uses of artificial intelligence (AI) such as live facial recognition technology in crowded public places. The draft regulations from the EU’s executive commission include rules on the use of the rapidly expanding technology in activities such as choosing school, job or loan applicants. They would also ban AI in situations such as “social scoring” and in systems used to manipulate human behaviour. The draft plan would give the EU the power to fine any company that breaches the regulations up to 6 per cent of its global turnover. Proposed measures include an outright ban on certain uses of AI, such as devices that manipulate vulnerable people. They also include a prohibition in principle on “remote biometric identification”, such as the use of live facial recognition on crowds of people in public places, with exceptions only for specific law-enforcement purposes such as searching for a missing child or a wanted person.