The AI Act is a draft law of the European Union that was first presented in 2021 and aims to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the EU. The aim is to create a legally secure, ethical and transparent environment for the development and use of AI technologies. The AI Act takes a risk-based approach and categorises AI systems into four risk categories:
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- Unacceptable risk: These AI systems, such as AI for social scoring or mass surveillance, will be completely banned.
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- High risk: These include AI applications in areas such as healthcare, transport and law enforcement, which are subject to strict transparency, security and traceability requirements.
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- Low risk: AI applications such as chatbots, which do not have a critical impact, are subject to less stringent requirements.
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- Minimal risk: This category includes AI systems that do not have any special requirements.
The AI Act is not only intended to protect the safety and rights of citizens, but also to strengthen trust in AI, promote innovation and set a global standard. The regulation ensures that AI systems are used transparently, comprehensibly and fairly.