European Parliament Nears Pivotal Vote on AI Act Compromise Amendments
European Parliament committees prepare to vote on compromise amendments for the AI Act, targeting restrictions on biometric identification and new rules for generative AI systems like ChatGPT.
The European Parliament reaches a provisional political deal on its draft report for the Artificial Intelligence Act. Following months of tense technical and political meetings between members of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) committees, lawmakers agree on a compromise text. The committees plan to vote on these amendments in the coming weeks.
The most controversial points in the compromise focus on biometric identification technologies and the rapid rise of generative AI. The proposed provisions prohibit real-time remote biometric identification systems in publicly accessible spaces. The text also bans systems that use biometric traits to categorize individuals based on sensitive attributes.
Regarding generative AI systems, members of the European Parliament distinguish between general-purpose AI systems and foundation models that face stricter requirements. Providers of generative AI must design their systems to align with EU law and publicly share a summary of training data that falls under copyright protection. The upcoming committee vote brings this landmark legislation one step closer to final adoption.