On May 21, 2024, the Council of the European Union (the Council) formally signed off on the latest draft of the European Union’s (EU) Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) (see the press release here). This marks the final seal of approval from the EU legislators. The text will officially become law once it is signed by Presidents of the European Parliament and of the Council and published in the Official Journal of the EU. This could take place within the next two to four weeks. However, the law will have phased effective dates, with the first obligations (i.e., the rules on prohibited AI systems) becoming effective at the end of this year.Continue Reading EU AI Act Is Now Adopted

On May 17, 2024, Governor Jared Polis signed the Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act (SB 24-205) (CAIA), regulating the development, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Colorado is the first state to enact comprehensive AI legislation. The law becomes effective February 1, 2026.Continue Reading Colorado Passes First-in-Nation Artificial Intelligence Act

The Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) is the first comprehensive legislation that intends to regulate AI horizontally across all sectors in Europe. It will have far reaching consequences on all companies developing, implementing, or using AI solutions in the EU and beyond. These FAQs provide key information you should know before the AI Act is adopted, and some tips on what you can already be doing to prepare. To learn more, click here to read Wilson Sonsini’s updated FAQs.”Continue Reading Updated: 10 Things You Should Know About the EU Artificial Intelligence Act

On December 8, 2023, the EU finally agreed on the world’s first comprehensive legal framework on AI: the AI Act. EU lawmakers reached a political agreement on a series of controversial issues after record-long negotiations. They are expected to formally adopt the agreed text within the next couple of months. If adopted, the AI Act will ban certain AI systems, regulate general purpose AI (GPAI), impose heavy obligations on high-risk AI systems, subject to high fines, and support innovation through regulatory “sandboxes.” The AI Act will have an extraterritorial reach. Being the first law of its kind globally, the AI Act has the potential to establish a benchmark for AI regulation in other regions, just as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has accomplished.Continue Reading EU Lawmakers Reach Political Agreement on the AI Act

EU lawmakers are preparing a new Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA). Timing for adoption remains unclear, but once the AIA enters into force, it will impose strict obligations on providers and users of AI systems. In the meantime, EU regulators have started issuing fines against companies using AI systems on the basis of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For example, the Hungarian privacy regulator recently issued a fine of approximately $680,000 against a bank for non-compliance with GDPR rules in the context of its use of AI software to analyze customer service calls. To learn more about the upcoming legislation, please see Wilson Sonsini’s Fact Sheet below on the current draft AIA.
Continue Reading Increased Scrutiny for AI Systems and Draft AI Legislation in the EU