Legislation on artificial intelligence

Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (AI) was published on 12 July 2024 in the Journal of the European Union and has a gradual applicability, starting on 2 February 2025.

The rules of the Regulation will apply as follows:

• the prohibitions and general provisions of the Regulation should apply from 2 February 2025
• the provisions on notified bodies, governance structure, obligations of providers of general purpose AI models and penalties should apply from 2 August 2025
• the codes of best practice should be ready by 2 May 2025, in order to allow suppliers to demonstrate compliance in good time

Key aspects of the first two chapters of the Regulation:

• providers and implementers of AI systems shall take measures to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, a sufficient level of AI literacy among their personnel and other persons engaged in the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf, taking into consideration their technical knowledge, experience, education and training, and the context in which the AI systems are to be used and taking into account the persons or groups of persons in relation to whom the AI systems are to be used
• the Regulation prohibits the placing on the market, putting into service or use of an AI system that employs subliminal techniques that cannot be consciously perceived by a person or intentionally manipulative or deceptive techniques with the purpose or effect of significantly distorting the behaviour of a person or group of persons by significantly impairing their ability to make an informed decision, thereby causing them to take a decision that they would not otherwise have taken, in a manner which causes or is reasonably likely to cause significant detriment to that person, another person or group of persons
• the Regulation prohibits the placing on the market, putting into service for this specific purpose or the use of AI systems to infer the emotions of a natural person within the sphere of the workplace or educational institutions, except where the use of the AI system is intended to be put in place or into the market for medical or safety reasons

Source: Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence