EU considers tougher rules for AI developers in ‘high-risk sectors’ such as health care, transport

The European Union is considering new legally binding requirements for developers of artificial intelligence (AI) in an effort to ensure modern technology is developed and used in an ethical way.

The EU’s executive arm is set to propose the new rules apply to “high-risk sectors,” such as health care and transport, and suggest the bloc updates safety and liability laws, according to a draft of a so-called “white paper” on artificial intelligence obtained by Bloomberg. The European Commission is due to unveil the paper in mid-February and the final version is likely to change.

The paper is part of the EU’s broader effort to catch up to the US and China on advancements in AI, but in a way that promotes European values such as user privacy. While some critics have long argued that stringent data protection laws like the EU’s could hinder innovation around AI, EU officials say harmonising rules across the region will boost development.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has pledged her team would present a new legislative approach on artificial intelligence within the first 100 days of her mandate, which started December 1, handing the task to the EU’s digital chief, Margrethe Vestager, to coordinate.

A spokesman for the Brussels-based Commission declined to comment on leaks but added: “To maximise the benefits and address the challenges of artificial intelligence, Europe has to act as one and will define its own way, a human way. Trust and security of EU citizens will therefore be at the center of the EU’s strategy.”

The EU wants to urge its member states to appoint authorities to monitor the enforcement of any future rules governing the use of AI, according to the document.