The European Union is set to agree landmark legislation which would establish controls on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used. With systems like ChatGPT revolutionizing the AI landscape, the EU is concerned the technology could pose a real threat unless it is regulated.

It is the dizzying speed with which AI systems are evolving that has alarmed officials in Brussels. The EU believes there is an urgent need for a legal framework which would identify those areas which pose a real threat to people's safety, health and fundamental rights.

However, critics of the legislation say the problem with some computer technology is that it is changing so fast, any laws would be out of date by the time they are agreed.

The AI Act proposes to classify AI systems based on their level of risk, ranging from low to unacceptable.

This will mean companies have different levels of legal responsibilities. "Unacceptable" AI tools will be banned, whereas "high risk" AI – like the kind used in critical infrastructure, law enforcement and education - will be required to conduct risk assessments, log their activities and make data available for scrutiny by the authorities.

Others argue that establishing a benchmark for responsibly operated AI would reassure the public and ensure a degree of quality control.

Rachel Alexander, founder and CEO Omina Technologies told CGTN: "A lot of people would not go to a restaurant that hasn't passed health codes. In the future I believe that will be the same for Artificial Intelligence. You will see that people are not going to go to a company that hasn't passed the conformity assessment."

It has been the remarkably speedy development of systems like ChatGPT which has galvanized lawmakers here. Its computer program can already answer questions plausibly, write essays, summaries and stories which sound natural and can even generate computer code.

The UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has warned that an international body is needed to regulate the fast changing technology.

"New technology is moving at warp speeds and so are the threats that come with it. Alarm bells over the latest form of artificial intelligence, generative AI are deafening and they are loudest from the developers who designed it. The scientists and experts have called on the world to act, declaring AI an existential threat to humanity on a par with the risk of nuclear war."

While it's thought likely MEPs will approve this landmark legislation, there have been the usual fraught negotiations between the parties. In particular, some groups are wary of facial recognition technology in public places, though it's likely it will be approved for investigations into serious crimes. Others are demanding that deep fake images on social media must be identified as having been produced by AI.

The parliament is expected to vote on the issue later this week but given the pace of technological change, experts say the legislation will have to be revisited in the future.

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