This time last year, the European Union took a decisive first step in the direction of regulating lawful, safe and trustworthy artificial intelligence technologies by publishing the so-called AI Act—officially known as the “Proposal for a Regulation laying down harmonized rules on Artificial Intelligence.” The AI Act represents a crucial opportunity for the European Union to ensure that AI systems operating in the single market respect the EU’s fundamental rights and values. Some commentators anticipated that the AI Act may lead the European Union to once again become a standards-setter on the international scene, similarly to what happened with regards to the GDPR.
