The AI Act and new machine product regulations proposed by the European Commission could seriously damage European small businesses, robotics companies and innovation. The International Federation of Robotics, VDMA Robotics + Automation Association, EUnited Robotics and REInvest Robotics are calling on the European Union (EU) to review their plans.
The Artificial Intelligence Act is a European legislative proposal introduced by the European Commission on 21 April 2021. The legislation aims to make AI legal, ethical and technically robust. At the same time, the legislation should ensure that AI respects democratic values, human rights and laws, among other things.
Banned, high risk and other AI systems
The legislation targets developers, distributors and users of AI systems. These systems are divided into three types: prohibited, high risk and other. For example, the AI Act restricts, among other things, the use of AI systems that influence individuals in a harmful way without their knowledge. However, consider AI systems for social scoring or biometric identification in public places.
The AI Act pays close attention to high-risk AI systems. These are systems that may pose a high risk due to their operation. Examples include AI systems focused on healthcare, employer assessments, education or social security. Other examples include applications in government, including police and emergency services, as well as border control and justice.
For these high-risk AI systems, the AI Act proposes stricter regulations. Specifically, this includes requiring the systems to be CE marked. Only then will they be allowed on the European market. This seal is only issued if they meet certain technical, legal and ethical standards.
At the end of November, the AI Act has already been shelved. The regulations no longer apply to AI systems developed exclusively for military purposes. It also applies to AI systems exclusively for research and development. In addition, the definition of AI systems has been adjusted. These are systems capable of "processing data or other forms of input to achieve human-defined objectives learning, reasoning and modelling".
'AI Act leads to problems'
The International Federation of Robotics, VDMA Robotics + Automation Association, EUnited Robotics and REInvest Robotics support the European Commission's vision around monitoring safety, protecting human rights and creating a harmonised framework for AI and robotics. At the same time, however, the parties also see problems arising from the proposed regulations. Specifically, these include the following problems:
- Mandatory third-party certification requirements slow down technical innovation in Europe
- The restrictions hamper the embrace of artificial intelligence and cause European companies - especially SMEs and startups - to fall behind global competitors.
- Regional supply chain, manufacturing and logistics operations could be disrupted if the proposals are embraced and implemented.
- Global regulatory compliance is becoming more complex and burdensome.
Creating a level playing field for businesses
"The International Federation of Robotics calls on European policymakers to adjust both proposals to balance the protection of citizens with the market's need to embrace new technologies and create a level playing field for businesses. This is not purely a European problem, as the proposed regulations also have a substantial impact on all companies bringing robots to the European market. In the long run, the new regulations could create a disadvantage for European companies, especially when it comes to SMEs and startups," said Dr Susanne Bieller, general secretary at the International Federation of Robotics.
Patrick Schwarzkopf, Managing Director of the VDMA Robotics + Automation Association and Director of EUnited Robotics, added: "The European Commission's proposals include burdensome regulation of so-called 'high-risk AI' and 'high-risk machinery'. They include the introduction of extensive mandatory third-party certification requirements, which discourages the use of AI and slows down innovation in Europe."
'AI Act hinders European robot innovation'
Dr Esben Hallundbæk Østergaard, CEO of REInvest Robotics and founder of Universal Robots, also foresees negative impact on European innovation. "The proposed legislation stands in the way of European robot innovation. This is specifically worrying as robots are one of the emerging tech segments where Europe has a global lead. Locally, the legislation could negatively impact thousands of small businesses, factories and manufacturers that rely on robotics and AI to automate critical operations and overcome labour shortages."
The original proposal from April 2021 can be found here.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
