EU Parliament adopts law to regulate artificial intelligence

By Nur Asena Erturk ​​​​​​​

ANKARA (AA) – The European Parliament adopted Wednesday the law to regulate artificial intelligence.

The AI Act, after negotiations with member states in December 2023, was adopted by MEPs with 523 votes in favor, 46 against, and 49 abstentions.

The regulation "aims to protect fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of law and environmental sustainability from high-risk AI, while boosting innovation and establishing Europe as a leader in the field," the EP explained in a statement.

It also establishes obligations for AI, based on possible risks, including "limits on the use of biometric identification systems by law enforcement," as well as "bans on social scoring and AI used to manipulate or exploit user vulnerabilities."

General-purpose AI (GPAI) systems are required to meet certain transparency criteria, and "artificial or manipulated images, audio or video content ('deepfakes') need to be clearly labelled as such," the statement noted.

After formal endorsement by the EU Council, the law will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the official Journal, "and be fully applicable 24 months after its entry into force," except for some clauses, it added.