EU wants AI Act to be global benchmark, but Asian countries are not convinced
- Efforts from EU officials to convince Asian countries including Japan, South Korea and India of the need for strict AI rules are receiving a lukewarm reception
- Many countries such as Singapore are taking a “wait and see” approach to the booming AI industry to avoid stifling innovation
The European Union is lobbying Asian countries to follow its lead on artificial intelligence in adopting new rules for tech firms that include disclosure of copyrighted and AI-generated content, according to senior officials from the EU and Asia.
The EU and its member states have dispatched officials for talks on governing the use of AI with at least 10 Asian countries including India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the Philippines, they said.
The bloc aims for its proposed AI Act to become a global benchmark on the booming technology the way its data protection laws have helped shape global privacy standards.
However, the effort to convince Asian governments of the need for stringent new rules is being met with a lukewarm reception, seven people close to the discussions told Reuters.
Many countries favour a “wait and see” approach or are leaning towards a more flexible regulatory regime.
The officials asked not be named as the discussions, whose extent has not been previously reported, remained confidential.
Singapore, one of Asia’s leading tech centres, prefers to see how the technology evolves before adapting local regulations, an official for the city state told Reuters. Officials from Singapore and the Philippines expressed concern that moving overly hasty regulation might stifle AI innovation.
As Reuters reported last month, Southeast Asian countries are drawing up voluntary guidelines. Japan, for its part, is leaning towards softer rules than the stringent approach championed by the EU, as it looks to the technology to boost economic growth and make it a leader in advanced chips.
