EU AI Act: what we need to know

Artificial Intelligence solutions and its popularization raise many concerns, especially since the law cannot keep up with new technologies. Even their creators themselves often call for the introduction of legal regulations regarding AI. The European Union was the first to respond to this by introducing the AI Act, which classifies AI solutions and imposes specific obligations on entrepreneurs.

AI risks categorization

The AI Act defines three risk categories related to the use of AI: high, limited and minimal. They refer to the impact that artificial intelligence solutions can have on people’s lives. In each case, requirements are set regarding data quality, operational transparency, supervision and responsibility of solution providers and users.

High-risk category. It concerns solutions that have a significant impact on human life or basic human rights. These include, for example, biometric systems, transport, health care, education and recruitment. Entrepreneurs will have to meet high requirements regarding compliance, transparency, cybersecurity, risk reduction and human supervision. It will also be necessary to introduce standards for data sets used for AI training.

Limited risk category. These are solutions that have less impact on people, but require transparency of action. There are, for example, chatbots, voice assistants and systems providing recommendations. Transparency requirements for entrepreneurs are lower. In the case of, for example, deepfakes and other content generators, there is a need to mark content so that users know that they were created using artificial intelligence.

Minimal risk category. This category is not subject to specific requirements and includes, among others: computer games, filters for graphics and photos, and interactive toys.

When AI cannot be used

The new legal regulations also indicate areas in which the use of AI will be unacceptable. Generally speaking, they refer to situations where unfair or unfavorable treatment of persons or social groups occurs. This includes, among others:

  • Predictive policing applications

These are systems that allow the police and other services to predict criminal behavior based on algorithms. They were banned due to numerous cases of incorrect indications, leading to the arrest of innocent people, and at the same time, low effectiveness in identifying the perpetrators of actual crimes.

  • Biometric tools for real-time emotion analysis

The use or development of tools that detect human emotions is not allowed in areas such as workplaces, schools or police applications. This is due to commonly criticized aspects of such systems, e.g. projecting cultural biases into systems. However, the act may be modified in this respect, as some systems of this type may have useful and potentially harmless applications.

  • Social scoring solutions

Social scoring involves assigning points to citizens based on their behavior. This solution is used in China and the AI Act strongly opposes it hence the provision banning it.

  • Real-time biometric identification systems

In this case, certain exceptions are provided for in the detection of serious crimes, such as child kidnapping. Serious crimes are those punishable by more than 3 years in prison in a given member state.

Consequences of the AI Act

It should be noted that the AI Act is not yet applicable law in the EU. The act must be approved by all member states, which may be difficult considering, among others, the opposition of France, Germany and Italy, which argue that the AI Act could stifle innovation.

However, if the law comes into force, there is a chance that it will become a model for other markets, just like the GDPR standard. The question is how the United States, where the largest companies dealing with these technologies are based, will react to the AI Act. We should rather expect their opposition to possible attempts to introduce similar legislation and strong lobbying against them.

For companies deeply involved in the creation and implementation of new technologies in IT projects, embracing artificial intelligence is an irreversible trend. This perspective has permeated businesses across various scales, industries, and geographical locations. While the establishment of a legal framework for this potent tool is crucial, valid concerns about the potential hindrance to innovation due to the AI Act have surfaced. Regardless of when the AI Act officially comes into effect, European-based companies should proactively consider the outlined guidelines in their operations. As our company operates in both Europe and the United States, it presents an intriguing opportunity to compare the regulatory impacts on the development opportunities of IT projects – says Michał Jaremek, Board Member RITS Professional Services.

At the same time, it should be noted that the AI Act is a step in the right direction, as the lack of any legal regulations regarding artificial intelligence is a dangerous situation. It encourages abuse and poses a serious danger to citizens. However, it is important not to kill innovation by actually creating new laws.

If you’re curious about how we support our business partners in their IT projects, be sure to check out our  section: Case studies | RITS Professional Services.

 Warsaw, January 11, 2024 RITS PRESS OFFICE

More news

Celebrating a Decade of Excellence at RITS Professional Services

Inspire. Engage. Enable success. Let’s meet our new brand – MarTech Compass

RITS Professional Services chooses Puzzle Office for new headquarters

Poland’s ICT sector: Insights from the latest Computerworld TOP200 report

Meet RITS Sailing Team: two starts, two podium finishes in the Tricity Sailing League

Want your business to be as agile as an athlete? Discover how integrating digital systems can unlock your agility potential

RITS Professional Services new address

New headquarters address for two RITS Group companies

Arkadiusz Seredyn, RITS Professional Services

Arkadiusz Seredyn joins RITS Professional Services Board and will lead the emerging capital group

RITS received The Diversity Equity Inclusion Workplace™ certificate

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion: key to innovation at RITS, certified with DEI Workplace™

Let’s meet at The Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit: RITS joins this technological celebration again

The spring power of regeneration: planting our first RITS Forest

Interview: How did RITS create effective operating models in the technology market?

RITS’ Women Power: discover the perspectives of OUR eight extraordinary women

Latest trends in web application development: overview for 2024

Why are Managed Services a strategic imperative for business performance and innovation?

RITS Professional Services listed on the prestigious The Global Outsourcing 100®

Interview: I can’t imagine working outside of a software house anymore

RITS Professional Services among Forbes Diamonds 2024

Why the manufacturing industry need a strong data analysis and processing team?

EU AI Act: what we need to know

What makes cloud computing crucial for the fintech sector?

Watch out for scammers!

What is the migration of IT systems to the cloud, and what are the benefits for business?

New brand RITS US Corp.

Top 10 technology trends for next years by Gartner

RITS Professional Services Preferred Digital Services Provider for BSH in Poland

Strong Woman in IT is in the RITS Team!

See you in Krakow, Warsaw and Las Vegas

We talk about outsourcing of IT professionals in the USA market

Where does the Polish ICT industry stand?

Reach for knowledge from our experts – watch the webinar

Let’s meet in London and Warsaw

RITS has joined ABSL

RITS in the Polish IT Community Report

RITS with a branch in Denmark

RITS co-organizes the Women in Tech Summit Community meetup

RITS on tour

IT outsourcing in the time of the coming recession

New RITS office in Wrocław

The cyber threat to enterprises is escalating. How much your company will pay for a cybersecurity specialist?

RITS in Clutch100

IT Specialists from Ukraine – in what ways the war changed the labor market?

„Outsourcing of IT employees”

Change of the name and legal form of Relyon IT Services

Regatta for the RITS Cup

Windows to Liberia

Awaiting corrections

What’s the secret of cooperation with IT Specialists at RITS

Polish Programmers worth their weight in gold

Staff Augmentation, Managed Services, Team Leasing

A special award granted to the RITS team from a Swiss bank

New threats and new technologies

Scroll to Top