European Union lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the E.U. AI Act on Wednesday, which aims to protect consumers from potentially dangerous applications of artificial intelligence. The legislation takes a “risk-based approach,” introducing restrictions based on how dangerous lawmakers predict an AI application could be, according to The Washington Post. E.U. officials are moving much faster than lawmakers in the U.S., where talks of AI regulation have dragged on.
Susan Ariel Aaronson, research professor of international affairs, is the director of the Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub and co-PI at the NSF Trustworthy AI Institute, TRAILS, at the George Washington University. Her research focuses on AI governance, data governance, competitiveness in data-driven services such as XR and AI and digital trade. She can discuss the legislation and ongoing efforts to try to regulate artificial intelligence by both the E.U. and U.S. Congress.