EU AI Act Talks Resume Amid Disagreements on Biometric Surveillance and Foundation Models

Lawmakers race against time to finalize world's first comprehensive AI regulations before June elections.

EU lawmakers are returning for a third day of negotiations on the Artificial Intelligence Act, the world's first comprehensive AI regulations.
The main point of contention is the use of AI in biometric surveillance, with lawmakers pushing for a ban and governments seeking exceptions for national security, defense, and military purposes.
Another significant issue is the regulation of foundation models, the advanced systems that underpin general purpose AI services like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard chatbot.
Lawmakers are racing to finalize the law before the European Parliament breaks for elections in June 2024.
The AI Act, once approved, wouldn't take effect until 2025 at the earliest.