The world’s biggest technology companies have launched a final push to persuade the European Union (EU) to take a light-touch approach to regulating artificial intelligence as they seek to fend off the risk of billions of dollars in fines. EU lawmakers agreed in May on the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive set of technology rules, following months of intense negotiations between different political groups. If all countries adopt regulation akin to the EU AI act, the value of AI will explode and its contribution to GDP will skyrocket. The need to license data will create entirely new trillion dollar industries. Don’t let Meta take that away from you. — TARNISHED MISHA (@yaboimisha) September 19, 2024 The EU has invited companies, academics, and other stakeholders to help draft the code of practice, receiving nearly 1,000 applications, an unusually high number, according to a source familiar with the matter who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Plus the AI Act is already in motion. They made a new department for it in February this year and the timer for the two years started on the 1st of August. They are desperate to make the move this late, really. — Taj 🎑 I foreshadow myself (@TajakaKarka) September 20, 2024 A company claiming to follow the law while ignoring the code could face a legal challenge. “If it’s too narrow or too specific, that will become very difficult,” he added. Companies such as Stability AI and OpenAI have faced questions over whether using bestselling books or photo archives to train their models without their creators’ permission is a breach of copyright. Under the AI Act, companies will be obliged to provide “detailed summaries” of the data used to train their models. How would you propose that we minimize the extinction risks from AGI, without slowing down ‘progress’ towards AGI? — Geoffrey Miller (@primalpoly) August 5, 2024 Some business leaders have argued that the required summaries should contain minimal details in order to protect trade secrets, while others assert that copyright holders have a right to know if their content has been used without permission. Blind “spots” lmao, the EU bureaucrats are basically blindfolded.. — hilda ₿ (@Hilda05052692) August 5, 2024 Google has also submitted an application, a spokesman told Reuters. Meanwhile, Amazon said it hopes to “contribute our expertise and ensure the code of practice succeeds.” “The AI Act presents the best chance to shine a light on this crucial aspect and illuminate at least part of the black box,” he said. Some in business have criticized the EU for prioritizing tech regulation over innovation, and those tasked with drafting the text of the code of practice will strive for a compromise. Last week, former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi told the bloc it needed a better-coordinated industrial policy, faster decision-making, and massive investment to keep pace with China and the United States. I don’t think Eurocrats realize how bad this is – as the enforcement dates come next summer into August 2025, more companies will announce product exits, and it’s going to be really messy. They messed up. It’s not just about some companies being hurt – I expect many big ones… — Arun Rao (@rao_hacker_one) August 6, 2024 Against a backdrop of growing protectionism within the EU, homegrown tech companies are hoping for carve-outs to be introduced in the AI Act to benefit up-and-coming European firms. Once the code is published in the first part of next year, tech companies will have until August 2025 before their compliance efforts start being measured against it. That’s good for the US, Russia, China… — Drain Bamage (@IsDrainBamaged) August 5, 2024 As the debate over the AI Act progresses, the future of AI regulation in Europe remains at a crossroads. September 20, 2024: US FTC Highlights Lack of User Control Over Data Mined by AI on Social Media! September 19, 2024: LinkedIn Under Fire for Scraping User Data Without Consent – Terms Updated After August 23, 2024: Runway Faces Outcry Over Alleged Use of YouTube Data for AI Training! August 21, 2024: OpenAI Under Fire: Controversy Surrounds AI Training Data Practices! August 21, 2024: It’s Finally Out: Google to Utilize Reddit Data for Training Its AI Models For more news and trends, visit AI News on our website.
However, until the law’s accompanying codes of practice are finalized, it remains unclear how strictly rules around “general purpose” AI (GPAI) systems, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, will be enforced and how many copyright lawsuits and multi-billion dollar fines companies may face.
The AI code of practice will not be legally binding when it takes effect late next year, but it will provide firms with a checklist they can use to demonstrate compliance.
In theory, a content creator who discovered their work had been used to train an AI model may be able to seek compensation, although this is being tested in the courts.
OpenAI, which has drawn criticism for refusing to answer questions about the data used to train its models, has also applied to join the working groups, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Thierry Breton, a vocal champion of EU regulation and critic of non-compliant tech companies, quit his role as European Commissioner for the Internal Market this week after clashing with Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the bloc’s executive arm.
Non-profit organizations, including Access Now, the Future of Life Institute, and Mozilla, have also applied to help draft the code.
Tech Giants Lobby to Weaken Europe’s AI Act Regulations!
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Digital marketing enthusiast by day, nature wanderer by dusk. Dave Andre blends two decades of AI and SaaS expertise into impactful strategies for SMEs. His weekends? Lost in books on tech trends and rejuvenating on scenic trails.Dave Andre
Digital marketing enthusiast by day, nature wanderer by dusk. Dave Andre blends two decades of AI and SaaS expertise into impactful strategies for SMEs. His weekends? Lost in books on tech trends and rejuvenating on scenic trails.
Key Takeaways:
“The code of practice is crucial. If we get it right, we will be able to continue innovating,” said Boniface de Champris, a senior policy manager at trade organization CCIA Europe, whose members include Amazon, Google, and Meta.
Maximilian Gahntz, AI policy lead at the Mozilla Foundation, the non-profit organization behind the Firefox web browser, expressed concern that companies are “going out of their way to avoid transparency.”
“We’ve insisted these obligations need to be manageable and, if possible, adapted to startups,” said Maxime Ricard, policy manager at Allied for Startups, a network of trade organizations representing smaller tech companies.
Gahntz said, “As we enter the stage where many of the AI Act’s obligations are spelled out in more detail, we have to be careful not to allow the big AI players to water down important transparency mandates.”
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Digital marketing enthusiast by day, nature wanderer by dusk. Dave Andre blends two decades of AI and SaaS expertise into impactful strategies for SMEs. His weekends? Lost in books on tech trends and rejuvenating on scenic trails.
