Eva Maydell was one of the drafters of the European AI Act, the first international law that regulates artificial intelligence. In her DLD24 talk, Maydell – a member of the European Parliament from Bulgaria – shares insights about the lawmakers’ negotiation process and intentions.
Drafting the EU AI Act took more than two years and involved discussions with many different stakeholders, Maydell says.
Ultimately, politicians from various political factions came to an agreement that lays out “a common European vision for the future of this technology – one where AI is more democratic, one where AI is safer”, Maydell argues.
“We succeeded in putting in place guardrails that ensure AI systems are safe, that they are aligned with our democratic values, but also I believe we achieved a reasonable balance between safety and the openness to innovation.”
Crucially, the AI Act does not regulate the entire sector, Maydell points out, but merely “concrete high-risk use”. In addition, the law includes a “research and open source exemption”. This allows companies to “continue to engage in R&D”, Maydell notes.
Watch the video for more details on how the law was drafted, what it means in practice and how it will likely shape the future of AI use in Europe and beyond.
