AI View March 2024

This edition brings you:

1. EU AI Act passes in European Parliament

2. European Parliament calls for "first 100 days commitment" to prioritise the AI Act

3. Council of Europe produce Draft Framework Convention on AI, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law

4. UN approves its first Global Resolution on AI

5. G7 to launch AI Adoption Report and develop AI Toolkit to help map risks

6. EU and US artificial intelligence agencies to collaborate on Generative AI Framework

7. State of AI Regulation in Africa: Trends and Developments

EU AI Act passes in European Parliament

On 13 March, the European Parliament voted in favour of the EU AI Act with a significant majority. This is almost the final step in an extensive process which began in April 2021.

The next step is for the text to be finalised and the law to be formally endorsed by the European Council. The AI Act will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal (which should happen in early / mid-Summer).

See more here, you can also read our Quick Guide to the EU AI Act here.

European Parliament calls for "first 100 days commitment" to prioritise the AI Act

The Group of the European People's Party (EPP Group) in the European Parliament has called for a 'first 100 days commitment' from the next EU Commission to prioritise AI Act implementation and promote AI excellence.

The letter proposes a strategic approach to AI development, focusing on legal clarity for stakeholders and international cooperation. It advocates for early guideline provision, efficient standardisation, and continuous engagement through entities like the AI Board and AI Advisory Forum. The letter also calls for the next European Commission to harmonise AI regulatory innovations with initiatives that support start-ups and trustworthy AI advancements.

View the letter here.

Council of Europe produce Draft Framework Convention on AI, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law

On 21 March, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers announced that it had transmitted the draft Framework Convention on AI, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law to the Parliamentary Assembly and invited it to give an opinion as soon as possible.

The purpose of the draft Framework Convention is to ensure that any activities involving AI systems are consistent and compliant with the protection of human rights, the safeguarding of democratic processes, and help to enforce global ethical standards. Member States will be required to adopt appropriate legislation and measures to help give effect to the provisions in the Convention.

Once the Assembly's opinion has been received, the next steps are for the draft Framework  to be reviewed by the Ministers' Deputies and transmitted to the Committee of Ministers for adoption at its Ministerial Session on 17 May 2024.

Read the announcement here.

UN Approves its first Global Resolution on AI

On 21 March, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly unanimously approved the first UN resolution on AI, giving global support to an international effort to ensure the new technology benefits all nations, respects human rights and is safe, secure and trustworthy.

The non-binding resolution, proposed by the US and co-sponsored by 120 other nations, including China, advocates for the strengthening of privacy policies and the support of regulatory and governance approaches related to safe use of AI. This is the first time the General Assembly has adopted a resolution on regulating AI.

The UN's aim is to drive the tech industry and governments to take further responsibility when managing AI, with a long-term goal of promoting ethical development of AI and accountability towards its use. The resolution encourages global cooperation to ensure developing nations have access to AI technology, however, as the resolution is non-binding, its success will depend on the voluntary commitment of Member States. Although we expect the direct impact of the resolution to be limited because of this, the resolution evidences the wider push to establish international safeguards and measures for the use of AI. 

Read the UN announcement here.

G7 to launch AI Adoption Report and develop AI Toolkit to help map risks

On 15 March, G7 nations announced that a Ministerial Declaration had been signed to unite and leverage the innovative potential of AI to promote global economic development and productivity. The Declaration will see countries collaborating on a new joint report exploring the factors behind the uptake of AI tech among businesses, helping to guide and inform policy makers across the collective.

In line with this report, an AI toolkit will be developed to ensure countries have the tools needed to deploy the technology to improve public services. This toolkit will set out practical principles for the safe and ethical use of AI, serving as a foundation to shape policy making. The toolkit will assist the public sector and other stakeholders in translating principles for safe, secure, and trustworthy AI into actionable policies, recognising opportunities and risks.

Read the press release here.

EU and US artificial intelligence agencies to collaborate on Generative AI Framework

On 18 March, it was reported that the EU and US's new AI agencies have plans to collaborate together on generative AI. Following the upcoming Trade and Technology Council meeting next month, Brussels and Washington are expected to announce a cooperation agreement between the European AI Office and the US AI Safety Institute.

Senior lawmakers from the EU and US are set to meet in Brussels to explore ways in which the two jurisdictions can cooperate on trade and technology issues, with AI being one of the key issues to be discussed. After the meeting, it is anticipated that officials will announce a cooperation agreement between the two agencies aimed at establishing a unified framework for evaluating generative AI models.

The EU and US will also continue to develop a 'joint roadmap' for the evaluation and governance of reliable AI, including formulating a set of key mutually accepted AI definitions.

See more here (paywall).

State of AI Regulation in Africa: Trends and Developments

In March this year, the Tech Hive Advisory Center for Law & Innovation published a new report exploring AI and data regulation efforts in 55 African countries.

The report identifies the challenges to AI regulation on the continent, including trends such as:

• Adoption of AI ethical principles;

• The role of data protection authorities in regulated AI;

• Africa's contribution to global AI governance;

• The growing attempt to enact AI-specific legislation;

• Emergence of sector-specific regulatory intervention for AI; and more.

Read the report here.