New legislation in the European Union strives to ensure AI is accessible to all
Back in 2018, the European Commission published a Communication on Artificial Intelligence, stating that, “Growth in computing power, availability of data and progress in algorithms have turned AI into one of the most strategic technologies of the 21st century. The stakes could not be higher. The way we approach AI will define the world we live in. Amid fierce global competition, a solid European framework is needed.”
Building AI for Everyone
The European Commission believes AI should be accessible to all. The plan suggests:
- Better Training: More people need to be trained in how to create and use AI.
- More Diversity: AI teams should include more women and people from different backgrounds.
- Involving Persons with Disabilities: It is vital that persons with disabilities are included in every step—from learning about AI in school to actually building the tools.
The recommendations from this publication were instrumental in the passing of the Artificial Intelligence Act in the European Parliament. Advocacy by the European Disability Forum (EDF) and digital rights organizations like European Digital Rights and the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law helped include accessibility and transparency requirements in the AI Act.
Artificial Intelligence Act
In June 2024, the AI Act was formally signed into law and published in the EU’s Official Journal on 12 July 2024. The AI Act entered into force 20 days after its publication. This act:
- Applies to providers offering AI systems to the EU market and/or who are located in the EU
- Creates a common definition of AI systems
- Classifies AI into several risk categories with different degrees of regulation
- prohibits a wide range of AI practices because of their harmful impact
- identifies a number of use cases where AI creates an adverse impact on people's health, safety and fundamental rights
- identifies AI systems that, due to their lack of transparency, will be subject to additional oversight
- provides specific rules for general-purpose AI models or that could pose a systemic risk; free or open-source models are exempt
- asks member states to set up regulatory sandboxes to test high-risk AI in real-world scenarios to facilitate training, testing, and validation of innovative AI systems
The implementation of the act will take place over two years, although prohibited systems were phased out within six months after the act entered into force. To read the act in its entirety or watch the video, go to Europarl Europa.
Ensuring the AI Act protects people with disabilities
Soon after the passage of the AI Act, The EDF published its guide to explain the EU AI Act to disability advocates and provide guidance to national authorities to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities are upheld.
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