EU, US to hold minimum AI standards talks, UK acknowledges existential risk

The EU and the US are planning to increase collaboration on artificial intelligence (AI) and establish minimum standards before legislation is enforced, according to the European Commission's Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age and Competition, Margrethe Vestager. 

The EU's Artificial Intelligence Act could become the first comprehensive legislation on AI, with regulations on biometric surveillance and facial recognition. First, however, EU lawmakers and governments must agree on a common text before it can be implemented. That process could be completed by the end of the year, leaving "one if not two years then to come into effect, which means that we need something to bridge that period of time," she said.

Vestager confirmed that the fourth ministerial-level meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Sweden would focus on AI, particularly generative algorithms, emphasising the need for guard rails to ensure that companies are held accountable. She also called for discussions on minimum expectations from companies before legislation is enforced.

In related news, The Guardian reports that the UK government has acknowledged the existential risk of AI for the first time. The prime minister met with top AI research group CEOs to discuss safety measures and regulation. They talked about the risks of the technology, including disinformation and national security, as well as the potential for an existential threat. The CEOs agreed to work with the UK government to ensure the approach responds to the speed of innovations in AI. The PM stressed the need for regulation to keep pace with the fast-moving advances in AI technology.

The developments come days after the G7 leaders' commitment to implement global AI standards at the recent meeting in Japan.