The Council of Europe opened the world's first legally binding international treaty on AI for signature. The Framework Convention on AI and Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law aims to ensure AI systems align with fundamental rights and democratic principles.

1 August 2024 marks a pivotal moment in the history of artificial intelligence regulation as the European Union's AI Act officially enters into force. This landmark legislation aims to establish a comprehensive framework for AI governance, emphasizing the protection of fundamental rights and promoting ethical AI practices.

The European Union has officially published the AI Act (EU 2024/1689) on 12 July 2024, the first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence worldwide. This groundbreaking legislation aims to create a safe and trustworthy AI environment within the EU, addressing concerns about AI's impact on society and fundamental rights.

The Spanish Government published additional information on its AI Strategy 2024, which was approved on 15 May 2024. The strategy will be implemented during 2024-2025.

Meta Platforms announced that it will not launch its Meta AI models in Europe for now, following a request from the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) to delay the company's plan to use user data for training AI systems. The decision comes in response to complaints filed by the European advocacy group noyb and calls to action from data protection authorities in several European countries.

On 3 June 2024, the EDPS has published its guidelines on generative Artificial Intelligence and personal data for EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies (EUIs). The guidelines aim to support p EUIs comply with the data protection obligations set out in Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, when using or developing generative AI tools (Photo: Wojciech Wiewiórowski, the European Data Protection Supervisor/EDPS).

The Austrian DPA stresses that GDPR remains crucial when processing personal data, even with the new AI regulation. Any AI system processing personal data must comply with the data protection principles and have a legal basis for processing. Automated individual decisions must adhere to Article 22 of GDPR, with the data controller bearing the burden of proof for lawful processing. If an AI system is non-compliant with the GDPR, the data protection authority must take corrective measures, including fines.

Concurrent with the AI Act's approval, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) released a report on ongoing investigations of OpenAI’s ChatGPT across the EU. The EDPB report highlights concerns about the use of personal data in training large language models (LLMs) and emphasizes the need for compliance with both the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the AI Act.

Marking a final step in the legislative process, the Council of the European Union today approved the EU AI Act. In March, the European Parliament overwhelmingly endorsed the AI Act. The Act will next be published in the Official Journal. The law begins to go into force across the EU 20 days afterward.

CoE adopted the first-ever international legally binding treaty aimed at ensuring the respect of human rights, the rule of law and democracy legal standards in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

Germany's privacy regulators are positioning themselves to play a central role in governing AI systems as new rules loom. The Data Protection Conference issued extensive guidance on lawfully deploying AI applications involving personal data. The recommendations cover legal bases, transparency, anti-discrimination checks and other requirements.

European Commission launches formal proceedings against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, over potential violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Explore the Commission's concerns regarding deceptive advertising, political content visibility, and the availability of real-time monitoring tools. Stay informed on the investigation's progress and its implications for digital platforms and democratic processes in the EU.

The British government announced a new law that will criminalize the creation of sexually explicit 'deepfake' images without consent. Under the new legislation, set to be introduced as an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill, those convicted of this offense will face prosecution and an unlimited fine.

Last week witnessed a key milestone as the Council of Europe finalized the draft Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, set to become the first international treaty on AI. However, concerns persist over the convention's differentiated approach to regulating the private sector.

The European Union has launched a series of initiatives last week to enhance electoral integrity and address the challenges posed by AI in the lead-up to the 2024 European Parliament elections.

The past week witnessed significant developments in AI policy, as the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union confronted the rapid advancement of the technology and its wide-ranging implications.

The Council of Europe has released the Explanatory Memo to aid in the interpretation of the proposed AI Treaty. The Explanatory Memo provides background, context, and examples to help explain the meaning of the various Articles contained in the AI Treaty.

Both the AI Treaty and the Explanatory Memo will be considered by the Council of Ministers of the COE at a meeting on 29 April 2024.

The French Competition Authority (Autorité de la concurrence) has fined Google €250 million for failing to comply with commitments made in June 2022. The Autorité found that Google breached its commitment to cooperate with the monitoring trustee and failed to comply with four of its seven commitments aimed at ensuring good faith negotiations and transparent assessment of remuneration for related rights.

Today the Committee of Ministers transmitted the draft Framework Convention on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law to the Parliamentary Assembly and invited the latter to give an opinion as soon as possible.

The European Commission, together with European Research Area countries and stakeholders, has put forward a set of guidelines to support the European research community in their responsible use of generative AI. The guidelines, based on principles of research integrity and trustworthy AI, aim to address key opportunities and challenges as the technology rapidly spreads across all domains, including science.