#aiact (25 results)

Open Letter

Over 40 NGOs call for a firm stance against US threats

Over 40 NGOs and individuals from the digital rights field are calling on the European Commission to respond firmly to the recent warning from the US government. The US has threatened sanctions if the EU does not weaken its digital laws in favor of American corporations.

AI Action Summit in Paris – a missed opportunity?

Our Executive Directors, Angela Müller and Matthias Spielkamp, were in Paris last week representing us at the international AI Action Summit in Paris hosted by the French Government. So, what to make of the summit, the billion-dollar promises made at it, and the Big Tech party beats that never stop pounding? These are their main observations.

As of February 2025: Harmful AI applications prohibited in the EU

Bans under the EU AI Act become applicable now. Certain risky AI systems which have been already trialed or used in everyday life are from now on – at least partially – prohibited.

Joint Statement

Upcoming Commission Guidelines on the AI Act Implementation: Human Rights and Justice Must Be at Their Heart

The Artificial Intelligence Act establishes rules for the development and use of AI concerning the EU. Now that the law is being implemented, civil society calls on the EU Commission to put human rights and justice at the forefront when interpreting the law.

The Rise and Fall of a Predictive Policing Pioneer

KeyCrime was a first of its kind, a company dedicated to using Artificial Intelligence to identify recurring patterns in serial crime. The European Union’s AI Act, however, dealt the project a mortal blow. But the idea lives on.

In the run-up to the German federal state elections:

Chatbots are still spreading falsehoods

In September 2024, federal state elections will be held in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg. AlgorithmWatch and CASM Technology have tested whether AI chatbots answer questions about these elections correctly and unbiased. The result: They are not reliable.

Explainer: AI & Sustainability

Sustainable AI: A Contradiction in Terms?

Does Artificial Intelligence (AI) help tackle the climate crisis or is it an environmental sin worse than flying? We explain how much energy AI systems really consume, why we need better measurements, how AI can become more sustainable, and what all this has to do with the EU's AI Act.

Explainer: AI & labor law

What works and what doesn’t: AI systems and labor law

In many companies, employees are controlled by automated systems, especially in platform work. The use of such systems in the (virtual) workplace is not yet comprehensively regulated by law. New (draft) laws are intended to help workers protect their rights.

EU’s AI Act fails to set gold standard for human rights

Following a gruelling negotiation process, EU institutions are expected to conclusively adopt the final AI Act in April 2024. Here’s our round-up of how the final law fares against our collective demands.

Press release

EU Parliament votes on AI Act; member states will have to plug surveillance loopholes

Today, the European rulebook on AI - the so-called EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) - will be adopted in the European Parliament. It aims to regulate AI development and usage in the European Union. Although the Act takes basic steps in safeguarding fundamental rights, it includes glaring loopholes that threaten to undermine its very purpose.

Press release

AI Act about to finally become law?

Press release

Europe’s Approach to AI regulation: Embracing Big Tech and Security Hardliners

Europe is about to adopt two major regulations on Artificial Intelligence: the EU’s AI Act and the Council of Europe’s Convention on AI. Yet, while both rulebooks were initially meant to turn the tables on Big Tech and to effectively protect people against governments' abuse of AI technology, interests of tech companies and governments' security hardliners may win out.

The year we waited for action: 2023 in review

Exactly one year ago, I wrote that automated systems might be regulated for good in 2023. This was too optimistic. Not only did European institutions fail to pass the AI Act, even in its watered-down version; the rise of generative models brought us to a new level of danger.

Press release

AI Act deal: Key safeguards and dangerous loopholes

After a negotiation marathon in the global spotlight, EU lawmakers closed a deal late Friday night on the AI Act, the EU’s law on regulating the development and use of Artificial Intelligence systems. The EU Parliament managed to introduce a number of key safeguards to improve the original draft text, but Member States still decided to leave people without protection in situations where they would need it most.

Press release

AI Act drama: Illegitimate deals, irresponsible negotiation hours, and unacceptable pressure games

After a negotiation marathon on its Artificial Intelligence Act, EU Member States put the screws on the EU Parliament to put national security and industry interests before the protection of people’s rights. Having been negotiating for over 20 hours, sleep-deprived EU lawmakers were pressuring each other today to close an unacceptable deal – on some of the most fundamental implications of AI on people and society.

Op-Ed

Generative AI must be neither the stowaway nor the gravedigger of the AI Act

Apparently, adoption of the AI Act as a whole is at risk because the EU Council and Parliament are unable to reach a common position on generative AI, with some Member States wanting to exempt generative AI from any kind of regulation. This is highly irresponsible, as it threatens effective prevention of harms caused by AI-driven systems in general.

AI Safety Summit

Missed Opportunities to Address Real Risks

The UK did not need to throw its full weight behind the Frontier Risks narrative - there are other approaches it could have taken.

Generative Artificial Intelligence is slowly entering children’s lives

A leak from Amazon gave us a glimpse of what they have planned for youngsters - and parents. How much personal data do we (or should we) accept handing over when it comes to our children?

Civil society calls on the EU to draw limits on surveillance technology

Police and migration authorities must respect fundamental rights when using AI

As AI systems are increasingly used by law enforcement, migration control and national security authorities, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) is an urgent opportunity to prevent harm, protect people from rights violations and provide legal boundaries for authorities to use AI within the confines of the rule of law.

Expert Policy Proposal

The AI Act and General Purpose AI

Key Recommendations to inform EU's AI Act Negotiations regarding General Purpose AI

Statement with 118 organizations

EU legislators must close dangerous loophole in AI Act

The European Union is entering the final stage of negotiations on its Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), but Big Tech and other industry players have lobbied to introduce a major loophole to the high-risk classification process, undermining the entire legislation. We call on EU legislators to remove this loophole and maintain a high level of protection in the AI Act.

Final EU negotiations: we need an AI Act that puts people first

As the final stage of negotiations on the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) enters AlgorithmWatch together with 149 civil society organisations call on EU institutions to improve the regulation. In our civil society statement we spell out clear suggestions how the regulation should be changed in order to protect people and our human rights effectively.

Press release

EU Parliament vote on AI Act: Lawmakers chose to protect people against harms of AI systems

After long months of intense negotiations, members of the European Parliament voted on the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). AlgorithmWatch applauds the Parliament for strengthening fundamental rights protection against the negative impacts of AI, such as that of face recognition in public spaces. Yet, the Parliament missed the opportunity to enhance protection for some people who would need it most.

Civil society statement: we call on members of the EU Parliament to ensure the AI Act protects people and our rights

AlgorithmWatch demands the regulation of General Purpose AI in the AI Act

There was a lot of speculation to hear recently about large language models being a doom’s bell. This is just a red herring that distracts from the real harm people suffer from such models. To prevent an escalation of harmful effects, AlgorithmWatch calls on the German Government and the EU to implement an array of effective precautions.