the joint paper underlines that the AI Act regulates the application of AI and not the technology, noting that the intrinsic risks lie in the application of AI systems rather than in the technology itself.
France, Germany, and Italy have reached an agreement on how artificial intelligence (AI) should be regulated, according to a joint paper seen by Reuters. The three European heavyweights support “mandatory self-regulation through codes of conduct” for advanced AI foundation models, including large language models (LLMs), which are designed to deliver a wide range of outcomes. The joint paper underlines that the AI Act regulates the application of AI and not the technology, noting that the intrinsic risks lie in the application of AI systems rather than in the technology itself.
Why does it matter?
The European Commission, the European Parliament, and the EU Council are negotiating in a ‘trilogue‘ how the bloc should position itself on this topic. As governments around the world strive to capitalize on the economic benefits of AI, the UK sponsored its first AI safety summit in November. This week, the German government is organizing a digital summit in Jena, Thuringia, bringing together officials from politics, industry, and research.
Below is the verbatim version of the accord:
An innovation-friendly approach based on European values for the AI Act—Joint Non-paper by IT, FR and DE
- We acknowledge the need for comprehensive regulation of AI systems and, from the beginning, welcomed the Commission proposal for an AI Act in this regard. The AI Act will provide EU citizens with protection and confidence in the AI products distributed on the single market.
- This new regulation will complement the comprehensive legal toolbox already applicable in the EU, for instance on data privacy with GDPR, or with Digital Services Act or the Terrorist Content Online regulation.
- The EU intends to position itself at the forefront of the AI revolution. This requires a regulatory framework which fosters innovation and competition, so that European players can emerge and carry our voice and values in the global race of AI.
- In this context, we reiterate our common commitment for a balanced and innovation-friendly and a coherent risk-based approach of the AI Act, reducing unnecessary administrative burdens on Companies that would hinder Europe ́s ability to innovate, that will foster contestability, openness and competition on digital markets.
- We welcome the efforts from the Spanish Presidency to find a compromise with the European Parliament and Commission to reach a satisfactory solution for all parties and stakeholders.
- Together, we underline that the AI Act regulates the application of AI and not the
technology as such. This risk-based approach is necessary and meant to
preserve innovation and safety at the same time. - Legal certainty, clarity, and predictability are of utmost importance.