Excellence and trust in artificial intelligence

Benefits of AI

The EU has the potential to become the global leader in safe AI. By developing a strong regulatory framework based on human rights and fundamental values, the EU can develop an AI system that benefit people, businesses and governments.

The EU and AI

• Proposed by the Commission in April 2021, and agreed by the European Parliament and the Council in December 2023, the AI Act will address potential risks to the health, safety, and fundamental rights of citizens while supporting the development of innovative and responsible AI in the EU. 
• Together with the AI Act, the update of the Coordinated Plan on AI is guaranteeing the safety and fundamental rights of people and businesses, while strengthening investment and innovation across EU countries.
• The Commission has also launched an AI innovation package to support European start-ups and SMEs in the development of trustworthy AI that respects EU values and rules. 

The EU's AI Act is the first-ever comprehensive legal framework on artificial intelligence worldwide. It will make sure that AI systems used in the EU are safe, transparent, ethical, unbiased and under human control. Therefore they are categorised by risk: 

Unacceptable risk

Anything considered a clear threat to EU citizens will be banned: from social scoring by governments to toys using voice assistance that encourages dangerous behaviour of children.

High risk

• Critical infrastructures (e.g. transport), that could put the life and health of citizens at risk
• Educational or vocational training, that may determine the access to education and professional course of someone’s life (e.g. scoring of exams)
• Safety components of products (e.g. AI application in robot-assisted surgery)
• Employment, management of workers and access to self-employment (e.g. CV sorting software for recruitment procedures)
• Essential private and public services (e.g. credit scoring denying citizens opportunity to obtain a loan)
• Law enforcement that may interfere with people’s fundamental rights (e.g. evaluation of the reliability of evidence)
• Migration, asylum and border control management (e.g. automated examination of visa applications)
• Administration of justice and democratic processes (e.g. AI solutions to search for court rulings)

High-risk AI systems will be carefully assessed before being put on the market and throughout their lifecycle.

Limited risk

AI systems such as chatbots are subject to minimal transparency obligations, intended to allow those interacting with the content to make informed decisions. The user can then decide to continue or step back from using the application.

Minimal risk

Free use of applications such as AI-enabled video games or spam filters. The vast majority of AI systems currently used in the EU fall into this category where the new rules do not intervene as these systems represent only minimal or no risk for citizen’s rights or safety.

Rules for providers of high-risk AI systems

If substantial changes happen in the AI system's lifecycle, go back to Step 2.

Once an AI system is on the market, authorities are in charge of the market surveillance, deployers ensure human oversight and monitoring, while providers have a post-market monitoring system in place. Providers and deployers will also report serious incidents and malfunctioning.

In 2018, the Commission and EU Member States took the first step by joining forces through a Coordinated Plan on AI that helped lay the ground for national strategies and policy developments.

The 2021 update of the Coordinated Plan on AI has brought strategy into action and is aligned with the Commission’s digital and green twin priorities, as well as Europe’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Fostering AI excellence from the lab to the market, the Coordinated Plan has put forward a vision to accelerate investments in AI, to act on AI strategies for their timely implementation and to align AI policies EU-wide.

As part of these efforts, the Commission plans to set up:

• A Public-Private Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, Data and Robotics to define, implement and invest in a common strategic research innovation and deployment agenda for Europe
• Additional Networks of AI Excellence Centres to foster exchange of knowledge and expertise, develop collaboration with industry and foster diversity and inclusion
• Testing and Experimentation Facilities to experiment and test state-of-the-art technology in real-world environments
• Digital Innovation Hubs, one-stop shops to provide access to technical expertise and experimentation, so that companies can "test before invest"
• An AI-on-demand Platform as a central European toolbox of AI resources (e.g. expertise, algorithms, software frameworks, development tools) needed for industry and public sector uses

The EU has already funded a variety of AI projects offering solutions in all areas of society, from agriculture to healthcare, manufacturing, or transport.

Three examples of areas where the use of AI technology has been particularly beneficial are health, environment and in the fight against disinformation.

AI and EU in figures