European Union pushes measure to regulate AI

The European Parliament on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to legislation that would restrict companies’ use of artificial intelligence. European Union leaders first proposed the measure in 2021. The EU AI Act would classify AI systems into four risk levels and apply different risk-based regulations. It would also require programs used in hiring or targeted at children to use accurate data. EU member states will now negotiate and possibly revise the act before it becomes law in 2025 or 2026.

Are U.S. lawmakers considering AI regulation? United States senators held their first closed-door briefing on artificial intelligence on Tuesday. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property has held several public hearings this year as lawmakers consider how to regulate the new technology. Arizona mother Jennifer DeStefano told the subcommittee Wednesday that scammers used AI to imitate her daughter’s voice and stage a fake kidnapping.

Dig deeper: Listen to Myrna Brown’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about tech leaders calling for a pause in AI tool development.