How does EU AI act impact the development of AI training models?
The AI boom has taken the world by surprise in the last two years. The detrimental effects of Artificial Intelligence, especially Generative AI, have created a lot of concern. The EU AI Act is the first regulation that covers new-age AI tools. How does it impact the development of AI training tools? Let's try finding out the details.
The Council of the EU recently formulated and approved its Artificial Intelligence Act or EU AI Act. This is regarded as the first comprehensive AI regulation in the world that places control over the use of AI systems. It may be noticed that the European Union proposed to bring the legal framework governing the use of AI even before ChatGPT disrupted the world with its public launch in November 2022. The guidelines were proposed as early as April 2021.
How will the EU AI Act impact the development and growth of AI tools? We will analyse the details. What is EU AI Act?
The EU AI Act is a set of regulations governing providers and developers of AI systems used or marketed in the European Union. The act is also applicable to free-to-use AI tools. The law governs the developers irrespective of whether they are located in the EU or any other country. 
This means the AI development companies operating from the United States that provide the AI systems in the European Union are subject to penalties for non-compliance. The EU Act does not explicitly have sections on the use of personal data for training. Still, it categorically states that the existing laws on the protection of personal data are in place.How can the EU Act impact the development of AI Tools and systems?
There are several ways the new EU AI Act is set to impact the future development of AI tools and AI systems. It may be interesting to understand the different aspects of the EU AI Act. The impact on the AI research
The EU Act does not necessarily stall the development of AI systems and tools. However, it expects the systems to have a proper balance between innovation and accountability. In essence, the EU looks for the regulation of AI systems in a risk-based approach.
The law distinguishes AI tools into different categories, such as Low risk, Medium Risk, and High Risk. The restrictions are stricter on high-risk categories, such as those used in hiring and law enforcement. The developers of these tools need to demonstrate safety, transparency, and compliance with privacy regulations. Even the low-risk categories need to focus on safety and security. But, the restrictions are not that strict. Powerful AI models will be under solid scrutiny
One of the concerns behind the EU AI Act is because of the impact it will have on powerful AI models like GPT. These high-end models are indeed pushing the boundaries of AI innovation.
The EU Act focuses on providing you with stringent safety testing and transparency mandates. The EU Act will have an impact on the growth trajectory of models like GPT. Focus on Open Source AI
This is an arena where the EU AI Act differs considerably from the other traditional AI regulations. It proposes to promote open-source AI development. We view the new legislation as an excellent option and incentivises transparency, collaboration, and the sharing of AI information.
This is all set to provide you access to a new-age innovation and ensure an excellent option for the growth of the era. The act offers a push for open-source AI development, regardless of whether it comes from established players or new developers. This is likely to have a significant impact on the democratisation of AI tools.Exemption of specific AI tools from the purview of the act
The EU AI Act has one strange impact on some particular AI systems. It offers an exemption of "specifically developed and put into service for the sole purpose of scientific research and development". This exemption applies to the tools used in scientific research.
However, these exemptions can be a concern and may even defeat the very purpose of the regulation. AI models created for scientific research may end up evading the regulation and then turning out harmful. The concluding thoughts
The EU Act will have an AI office that will monitor and oversee the development and impact of AI tools. However, the actual implementation of the enforcement may not be clear as yet. In essence, the EU Act is the right step towards balancing innovation while taking care of society's concerns.
We are eagerly waiting to understand the impact of the European Commission's bold decision. It provides insight into the future of AI development.
