EU proposes rules for artificial intelligence to limit risks

LONDON (AP) — The European Union is unveiling proposals to regulate artificial intelligence that call for strict rules and safeguards on risky applications of the emerging technology.

The report on artificial intelligence released Wednesday is part of the bloc's wider digital strategy aimed at maintaining its position as the global pacesetter on technological standards.

The EU's executive Commission said it wants to develop a “framework for trustworthy artificial intelligence." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had ordered her top deputies to come up with a coordinated European approach to artificial intelligence and data strategy 100 days after she took office in December.

Clear rules are needed to address “high-risk AI systems” such as those in health, policing or transport, which should be “transparent, traceable and guarantee human oversight,” the EU said.

Authorities should be able to test and certify the data used by the algorithms that power artificial intelligence in the same way they check cosmetics, cars and toys, it said. It's important to use unbiased data to train high-risk artificial intelligence systems so they can avoid discrimination, the commission said.

EU leaders said they also wanted to open a debate on when to allow facial recognition in remote identification systems, which are used to scan crowds to check people's faces to those on a database. It's considered the “most intrusive form" of the technology and is prohibited in the EU except in special cases.