Europe plans to put guardrails on ChatGPT and other AI apps
- The European parliament has voted to take steps to regulate AI technology such as ChatGPT.
- The proposed rules would require such systems to indicate that content was AI-generated.
The European Union has taken the first steps towards regulating artificial intelligence, with its parliament backing a ban on the technology for biometric surveillance, emotion recognition, and predictive policing.
Europe will also seek to require systems such as ChatGPT to indicate that content was generated by AI, and deem AI systems used to influence voters to be "high-risk."
The rules "aim to promote the uptake of human-centric and trustworthy AI and protect the health, safety, fundamental rights and democracy from its harmful effects," per a press release from the European parliament on Wednesday.
The measures were passed by 499 votes to 28, with 93 abstentions. Talks will begin with EU member states on the precise wording of the legislation known as the AI Act.
The rules aim to ensure that AI developed and used in Europe complied with EU rights and values including human oversight, safety, privacy, transparency, non-discrimination, and social and environmental wellbeing.
Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, met several European leaders in May to discuss the potential impact of AI on society. He said he had no plans to pull ChatGPT out of Europe despite saying proposed EU rules to govern AI could backfire.
As Insider previously reported, one of Altman's main concerns with the EU's proposed law centers on its definition of "high-risk" systems and could ensnare ChatGPT.
European parliament members voted to deem AI systems that "pose significant harm to people's health, safety, fundamental rights or the environment" as high-risk, per the press release. AI systems used to influence voters and the outcome of elections, and recommender systems used by social-media platforms are also on the "high-risk" list.
Co-rapporteur Brando Benifei of Italy said Europe had devised a "concrete response" to the potential dangers posed by AI. "We want AI's positive potential for creativity and productivity to be harnessed but we will also fight to protect our position and counter dangers to our democracies and freedoms," he said.
Co-rapporteur Dragos Tudorache of Romania said Europe's AI Act would shape the development and governance of AI globally and ensure it was used in line with the "European values of democracy, fundamental rights, and the rule of law."
OpenAI, which is heavily backed by Microsoft, released ChatGPT in November, and became the fastest-growing internet app. Its popularity has fueled massive consumer and investor interest in generative AI, as well as concerns from lawmakers about the technology's potential impact on jobs, elections, and the media.