Google, EU to Develop Pact on Voluntary Foundation Forward of New AI Guidelines

Alphabet and the European Fee purpose to develop a synthetic intelligence (AI) pact involving European and non-European firms earlier than guidelines are established to manipulate the know-how, EU trade chief Thierry Breton mentioned on Wednesday.

Breton earlier met Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and its guardian firm Alphabet, in Brussels.

“Sundar and I agreed that we can’t afford to attend till AI regulation truly turns into relevant, and to work along with all AI builders to already develop an AI pact on a voluntary foundation forward of the authorized deadline,” Breton mentioned in an announcement.

He additionally urged EU international locations and EU lawmakers to finalise particulars of the Fee’s proposed AI guidelines earlier than the top of the yr. Each teams have but to begin negotiations to iron out their variations.

Concern is mounting about fast-developing AI’s potential to upend the way in which society and companies function. Governments are scrambling to discover a method to rein in destructive penalties with out shedding the advantages, or stifling innovation.

EU Commissioner for Competitors Margrethe Vestager, who additionally met Pichai, underlined the necessity to act collectively.

“We’d like the AI Act as quickly as potential. However AI know-how evolves at excessive velocity. So we want voluntary settlement on common guidelines for AI now,” she mentioned in a tweet.

The European Union and america plan to step up cooperation on synthetic intelligence to determine minimal requirements earlier than laws enters drive, Vestager mentioned on Tuesday.

Fee Vice President Vera Jourova mentioned she voiced her considerations to Pichai in regards to the unfold of pro-Kremlin conflict propaganda and disinformation on Google’s services and products and the dangers of disinformation in EU and nationwide elections.

Pichai agreed to look into issues confronted by unbiased Russian media in monetising their content material in Russia on YouTube, Jourova mentioned.

© Thomson Reuters 2023