To better understand the current status of the AI Act and to not miss any development, our legislation tracker will keep you updated on the legislative process:

PARLIAMENT

In Computer Science, there is no binding definition of „Artificial Intelligence“. Art. 3 (1) of the proposed AI Act defines Artificial Intelligence systems broadly as “software that is developed with one or more of the techniques and approaches listed in Annex I and can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, generate outputs such as content, predictions, recommendations, or decisions influencing the environments they interact with”. 

Such techniques and approaches listed in Annex I are, among others, machine learning including deep learning or logic- and knowledge-based approaches.

The AI Act aims to harmonise rules on AI systems in the European Union. Following a risk-based approach, it regulates the prohibition of certain AI systems, and sets out several obligations for the development, placing on the market and use of AI systems.

The AI Act mainly addresses providers of AI systems. Also, under certain conditions product manufacturers, importers, distributors, users, or other third parties can be subject to obligations. These are defined in Art. 3 respectively.

Art. 2 (1) provides that the regulation applies to

• “providers placing on the market or putting into service AI systems in the Union, irrespective of whether those providers are established within the Union or in a third country”,
• “users of AI systems located within the Union”, and
• “providers and users of AI systems that are located in a third country, where the output produced by the system is used in the Union”.

Thus, the AI Act has a rather wide, „extraterritorial“ scope and is applicable, under certain conditions, also outside the EU.

At the moment, there is no definite answer to this question. Currently, the final trilogue of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament is expected to take place at the end of 2022. Thus, the AI Act might enter into force already in 2023. According to Art. 85, the AI Act will then apply 24 months after that date.