#aiact (25 results)

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.

What to expect from Europe’s first AI oversight agency

Spain announced the first national agency for the supervision of Artificial Intelligence. In its current shape, the plan is very industry-friendly and leaves little space to civil society.

The year automated systems might have been regulated: 2022 in review

Automated systems were surprisingly absent from this year’s major stories. On the regulation front, European institutions stepped up their efforts. How much change Europeans can expect depends on the institutions’ resolve, and the first test of 2023 already began.

Joint statement: The EU AI Act must protect people on the move

In its current form, the AI Act does not adequately address and prevent harms stemming from the use of AI in the migration context. Today, AlgorithmWatch together with 191 organizations and individuals are sending a decisive signal to EU decision-makers: ensure the protection of human rights of people on the move!

How the German government decided not to protect people against the risks of AI

Today, EU member states’ ministers are meeting in Brussels to formally adopt the version of the AI Act that their governments agreed to. As it stands, it will not be in line with the German government’s vows to protect fundamental rights. Instead, it will propose lavish exemptions for security agencies to the detriment of people’s rights.

Open letter: the German government should stand up for a strong ban on biometric surveillance in the Council of EU negotiations regarding the AI Act  

AlgorithmWatch and 26 other civil society organizations are calling on the German government to stand up in the negotiations on the AI Act and advocate for a strong ban on biometric surveillance as mirrored in its coalition treaty.

Civil society open letter demands to ensure fundamental rights protections in the Council position on the AI Act

Negotiations in the Council of the EU regarding the AI Act are at full speed. Civil society calls for the Council to correct major shortcomings of their version of the Act which fails to ensure the necessary safeguards against harmful applications of AI systems.

EU rules for AI have some distance to go

The AI Act and Directive on AI Liability aim to protect fundamental rights, health and safety, but fall short in the current form. An op-ed, published first at Context.

Our statement on the draft AI Act to the German government and public

On 26 September, the Digital Committee of the German Parliament held a hearing with the theme “EU regulation regarding Artificial Intelligence including the competitiveness on the field of AI and blockchain technology” with a major focus on the upcoming AI Act. Our Head of Policy & Advocacy, Angela Müller, was invited to give a statement on behalf of AlgorithmWatch.

Explainer: AI act

A guide to the AI Act, the EU’s new AI rulebook

In 2024, the EU adopted a law to regulate Artificial Intelligence across all sectors. The regulation is a humble step forward towards protecting people’s fundamental rights from risks stemming from AI. In this guide we will unwrap what the new rules entail and what it will – and will not – change.

Members of the European Parliament could protect us from biometric surveillance – if they wanted to

Together with Reclaim Your Face and 51 other civil society organizations, AlgorithmWatch calls for a meaningful ban of remote biometric identification systems in public spaces. In an Open Letter to Members of the European Parliament, we urge them to amend the draft AI Act accordingly.

Civil society reacts to EP AI Act draft Report

Together with civil society partners we analyse in our new joint statement the two main EU parliamentary committees' draft report on the AI Act. In light of our core demands we identify the important steps it takes – and the gaps it still needs to fill so that it protects people and our fundamental rights.

A Milestone in the AI Act negotiations

On April 21st, the much-awaited IMCO-LIBE draft report on the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), produced by the European Parliament lead negotiators Brando Benifei and Dragoș Tudorache, was finally disclosed – a major milestone in the AI Act negotiations. While we are preparing a detailed analysis in collaboration with our partners, we share below our first take on the draft report.

AlgorithmWatch’s demands for improving the AI Act

As policymakers are busy with shaping the AI Act, AlgorithmWatch has clear demands what should flow into the regulation so that it genuinely protects our fundamental rights.

AlgorithmWatch signs statement on ban of predictive policing in the Artificial Intelligence Act

Today, 1st March 2022, AlgorithmWatch along with Fair Trials, European Digital Rights (EDRi) and 38 civil society organisations launched a collective statement to call on the EU to ban predictive policing systems in the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA).

Civil society calls on the EU to put fundamental rights first in the AI Act

115 civil society organisations, including AlgorithmWatch and European Digital Rights (EDRi), launched a collective statement to call for an Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) which foregrounds fundamental rights.

EU policy makers: Protect people’s rights, don’t narrow down the scope of the AI Act!

EU Member States are pushing for a definition of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the proposed AI Act that would dramatically limit its scope and exclude many systems that already have stark consequences for people’s fundamental rights and life prospects. We demand the European Council change its course, and call on the European Parliament to defend a position that puts people’s rights first instead of turning the AI Act into a paper tiger.

European Council and Commission in agreement to narrow the scope of the AI Act

The European Council, which represents Member States, is pushing for a “narrow” definition of AI, which would dramatically water down the AI Act. The European Commission seems to be in agreement.

Draft AI Act: EU needs to live up to its own ambitions in terms of governance and enforcement

Going forward with the proposed AI Act, the European Parliament and the Member States should re-think its risk-based approach, focus on affected communities, and beef up transparency requirements and enforcement mechanisms. We very much welcome the EU’s efforts to develop a framework for the governance of AI-based systems based on European values and the protection of fundamental rights, but there’s a long way to go to achieve these objectives.

AlgorithmWatch’s response to the European Commission’s proposed regulation on Artificial Intelligence – A major step with major gaps

Our response to the European Commission’s consultation on AI

Read our response to the European Commission's White Paper on Artificial Intelligence, submitted as part of the public consultation on AI.