Fidesz EP group welcomes new regulations on AI

MEPs Edina Toth and Balazs Hidveghi said the new regulation focused on consumer protection, fostered innovation and helped companies exploit economic opportunities in the field.

The EP said that the law, adopted with 523 votes in favour, 46 against and 49 abstentions, aims to safeguard fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of law and sustainability while boosting innovation.

The regulation bans “biometric categorisation systems based on sensitive characteristics and untargeted scraping of facial images from the internet or CCTV footage to create facial recognition databases,” the EP said in a press release. “Emotion recognition in the workplace and schools, social scoring, predictive policing (when it is based solely on profiling a person or assessing their characteristics), and AI that manipulates human behaviour or exploits people’s vulnerabilities will also be forbidden.”

The law also imposes transparency requirements on the use of general-puspose AI and bans the use of biometric identification systems in law enforcement, with a few strictly regulated exceptions.

Citizens will have the opportunity to file complaints of suspected abuse of AI, according to the press release.

“We have always seen it as a priority to have EU regulations on AI focusing on people’s security and handling AI-related risks, but also ensure fair competition for digital SMEs,” it said.

Toth also called it important “to keep the development and implementation of AI in human hands, and also that it is safe, transparent and non-discriminatory, serving society and the environment alike”.

“I hope the regulation will also boost innovation and investment in the sector in Hungary,” Toth added.