A European approach to artificial intelligence

The EU’s approach to artificial intelligence centers on excellence and trust, aiming to boost research and industrial capacity while ensuring safety and fundamental rights.

The way we approach Artificial Intelligence (AI) will define the world we live in the future. To help building a resilient Europe for the Digital Decade, people and businesses should be able to enjoy the benefits of AI while feeling safe and protected.

The European AI Strategy aims at making the EU a world-class hub for AI and ensuring that AI is human-centric and trustworthy. Such an objective translates into the European approach to excellence and trust through concrete rules and actions.

In April 2021, the Commission presented its AI package, including:

• its Communication on fostering a European approach to AI;
• a review of the Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence (with EU Member States);
• its Regulatory framework proposal on artificial intelligence and relevant Impact assessment.

A European approach to excellence in AI

Fostering excellence in AI will strengthen Europe’s potential to compete globally.

The EU will achieve this by:

1. enabling the development and uptake of AI in the EU;
2. making the EU the place where AI thrives from the lab to the market;
3. ensuring that AI works for people and is a force for good in society;
4. building strategic leadership in high-impact sectors.

The Commission and Member States agreed to boost excellence in AI by joining forces on policy and investments. The 2021 review of the Coordinated Plan on AI outlines a vision to accelerate, act, and align priorities with the current European and global AI landscape and bring AI strategy into action.

Maximising resources and coordinating investments is a critical component of AI excellence. Through the Horizon Europe and Digital Europe programmes, the Commission plans to invest €1 billion per year in AI. It will mobilise additional investments from the private sector and the Member States in order to reach an annual investment volume of €20 billion over the course of the digital decade.

The Recovery and Resilience Facility makes €134 billion available for digital. This will be a game-changer, allowing Europe to amplify its ambitions and become a global leader in developing cutting-edge, trustworthy AI.

Access to high quality data is an essential factor in building high performance, robust AI systems. Initiatives such as the EU Cybersecurity Strategy, the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, and the Data Governance Act provide the right infrastructure for building such systems.

A European approach to trust in AI

Building trustworthy AI will create a safe and innovation-friendly environment for users, developers and deployers.

The Commission has proposed 3 inter-related legal initiatives that will contribute to building trustworthy AI:

1. a European legal framework for AI that upholds fundamental rights and addresses safety risks specific to the AI systems;
2. a civil liability framework – adapting liability rules to the digital age and AI;
3. a revision of sectoral safety legislation (e.g. Machinery Regulation, General Product Safety Directive).

European proposal for a legal framework on AI

The Commission aims to address the risks generated by specific uses of AI through a set of complementary, proportionate and flexible rules. These rules will also provide Europe with a leading role in setting the global gold standard.

This framework gives AI developers, deployers and users the clarity they need by intervening only in those cases that existing national and EU legislations do not cover. The legal framework for AI, or AI Act, has a clear, easy to understand approach, based on four different levels of risk: minimal risk, high risk, unacceptable risk, and specific transparency risk. It also introduces dedicated rules for general purpose AI models.

Important milestones

1. December 2023 Political agreement reached by the co-legislators
2. June 2023 European Parliament’s negotiating position on AI Act
3. December 2022 General approach of the Council on AI Act
4. September 2022 Proposal for an AI liability directive
5. June 2022 Launch of first AI regulatory sandbox in Spain: Bringing the AI Regulation forward
6. December 2021 Committee of the Regions, Opinion on the AI ActEuropean Central Bank, Opinion on the AI Act (.PDF)
7. November 2021 Council of the EU: SI Presidency compromise text on the AI Act (.PDF)High-Level Conference on AI: From Ambition to Action (3d European AI Alliance Assembly)European Economic and Social Committee, Opinion on the AI Act
8. June 2021 Public consultation on Civil liability – adapting liability rules to the digital age and artificial intelligenceEuropean Commission: Proposal for a Regulation on Product Safety
9. April 2021 European Commission: Communication on Fostering a European approach to AIEuropean Commission: Proposal for a regulation laying down harmonised rules on AIEuropean Commission: updated coordinated plan on AIEuropean Commission: Impact assessment of an AI regulation
10. October 2020 2nd European AI Alliance Assembly
11. July 2020 Inception impact assessment: Ethical and legal requirements on AIHigh-Level Expert Group on AI: Final assessment list on trustworthy AI (ALTAI)High-Level Expert Group on AI: Sectorial recommendations of trustworthy AI
12. February 2020 European Commission: White paper on AI: a European approach to excellence and trustPublic consultation on a European approach to excellence and trust in AI
13. December 2019 High-Level Expert Group on AI: Piloting of assessment list of trustworthy AI
14. June 2019 First European AI Alliance AssemblyHigh-Level Expert Group on AI: Policy and investment recommendations of AI
15. April 2019 European Commission Communication: Building trust in human-centric artificial intelligenceHigh-Level expert group on AI: Ethics guidelines for trustworthy AI
16. December 2018 European Commission: Coordinated plan on AIEuropean Commission (Press release): AI made in EuropeEuropean Commission Communication: AI made in EuropeStakeholder consultation on draft ethics guidelines for trustworthy AI
17. June 2018 Launch of the European AI allianceSet up of the high-level expert group on AI
18. April 2018 Press release: Artificial intelligence for EuropeCommunication: Artificial intelligence for EuropeStaff working document: Liability for emerging digital technologiesDeclaration of cooperation on artificial intelligence
19. March 2018 Press release: AI expert group and European AI alliance

Source: European Commission