EU Lawmakers Look to Regulate Artificial Intelligence Tools

Picture this: you are a hiring manager at a technology company trying to fill a vacant position. You have dozens of resumes on your desk and it is impossible to evaluate them all. So, you turn to an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to help you with the selection process. The AI tool sorts through resumes in seconds, picking out the most qualified candidates based on their past work experiences, education and skills. To your surprise, however, the tool eliminates all women from the candidate pool, citing that men are better suited for the job. This is not a far-fetched scenario, and it has already happened to companies like Amazon and Goldman Sachs.

The example above highlights the potential pitfalls of unregulated AI tools. As AI continues to infiltrate various aspects of our lives, lawmakers around the world are grappling with the question of how to regulate these tools to ensure ethical and fair practices. The European Union (EU) is taking a lead role in this area, proposing new regulations that look to protect citizens while maintaining innovation and growth in the tech industry.

AI Bias

AI systems are only as good as the data they are fed. If the data is biased, the system will reflect that bias. According to a study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), facial recognition systems produced false matches between African American and Asian American faces and mugshots, leading to higher rates of false positives for these groups. Another study found that a popular AI-based healthcare platform was twice as likely to recommend care for white patients over Black patients with the same level of need.

These examples demonstrate the potential harm that can come from unregulated AI systems. Without oversight and regulation, AI systems can perpetuate bias and discrimination against certain groups.

EU Regulations for AI

The EU has proposed new regulations for AI that aim to protect citizens and promote ethical AI practices. The regulations classify AI systems based on their risk levels, with the highest-risk systems subject to the strictest regulations. The regulations also propose fines of up to 6% of a company's annual revenue for violating the rules.

One of the key proposals is the ban on certain AI practices that are considered high-risk. These include AI systems that manipulate human behavior, use facial recognition in public spaces with few exceptions, and systems that pose a danger to human safety, such as autonomous vehicles.

The regulations also propose requiring companies to be transparent about their use of AI and to provide explanations for automated decisions that affect citizens. This is particularly important in high-risk areas such as healthcare and criminal justice, where algorithmic decisions can have serious implications for individuals.

Conclusion: Why Regulation is Necessary

1. Protecting against bias: As we have seen with the examples above, unregulated AI systems can perpetuate bias and discrimination against certain groups. By regulating AI, we can ensure that these systems are created and used fairly, without unintended consequences for certain populations.
2. Promoting ethical practices: AI has the potential to revolutionize various industries, but it must be done ethically and responsibly. Regulation can ensure that AI is developed and implemented in a way that is consistent with ethical principles.
3. Securing public trust: As AI continues to permeate our lives, it is important that the public has trust in these systems. Regulation can help ensure that AI is used for public good and not for nefarious purposes.