The adoption and application of the AI Act in Europe this February 2, 2025, marks a major turning point. Considered strict and potentially limiting for innovation, the AI Act has sparked much criticism. But what are the real implications?
As the first regulation on artificial intelligence in Europe, the AI Act aims to regulate its use. Discover the new measures introduced this Sunday, February 2.
AI ACT: Regulating European AI
The main objective of the AI ACT is to guarantee a responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence within European territory, while ensuring the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights. And the AI ACT has already been entering into force gradually since August 1, 2024.
We have talked about it extensively in this article, and we also raised the question of the framework, namely whether the AI ACT was too restrictive or not for companies.
But starting today, February 2, 2025, new measures will come into effect regarding prohibited artificial intelligence systems (unacceptable category), which are part of the four risk categories defined by this regulation.
As a reminder, the 4 risk categories:
The AI ACT classifies AI systems into four risk categories, each with specific regulatory requirements:
- Minimal risk: This category does not require specific obligations, allowing for some flexibility in the use of AI technologies.
- Limited risk: These systems are subject to general transparency and non-discrimination obligations, thus ensuring a minimum level of protection for users.
- High risk: AI systems that impact safety or fundamental rights, such as those used in the fields of health or justice, must comply with rigorous compliance obligations.
- Unacceptable risk: This category concerns systems that manipulate or exploit vulnerabilities, particularly those targeting highly sensitive groups such as children or vulnerable individuals. The use of these systems is strictly prohibited in Europe as of this February 2, 2025.
Read also: Paris AI Summit Program: February 10 and 11, 2025
There are also specific prohibitions:
The AI ACT also provides for specific prohibitions concerning certain technologies considered particularly dangerous:
- Biometric identification tools: This includes facial recognition, which raises privacy and surveillance concerns.
- Social scoring technologies: These systems, which evaluate individuals based on often opaque criteria, are now prohibited.
- Predictive policing methods based on profiling: These practices, often criticized for their potential to reinforce systemic biases, are also banned.
An implementation schedule until… 2031!
On the official AI Act website, an implementation schedule indicates milestones until August 2, 2031. On that date, the European Commission will carry out “an evaluation of the application of the AI Act and present a report to the European Parliament, the Council, and the European Economic and Social Committee.”
By 2031, the question arises: will France and Europe still have the same power to impose rules? Only time will tell.
Which category does Yiaho fall into?
The question then arises: which category does our Yiaho platform fall into?
At Yiaho, we offer high-performance AI-powered chatbots, allowing you, for example, to access the ChatGPT language model for free, with no strings attached. And the messages generated by the AI are not collected for two reasons: we have no technical interest in gathering them and it would considerably slow down our servers.
All our tests take place internally and as a reminder, Yiaho is accessible without registration, without even needing an email address to use it! In short, Yiaho clearly falls into the minimal risk AI category and we are very proud of it.
AI ACT: What are the penalties?
Companies that do not comply with the new regulations face rather severe financial penalties. Fines can reach up to 35 million euros or 7% of total worldwide annual turnover, depending on the severity of the non-compliance.
Furthermore, companies are now required to map their AI uses in order to comply with current regulations. This obligation aims to ensure increased transparency and facilitate the monitoring of artificial intelligence practices. On Yiaho’s side, we are totally transparent about the use of our AIs and how they work. You can find more information on this in our FAQ.
The entry into force of the AI Act today represents a key moment in the regulation of artificial intelligence in Europe. While this legislation may be perceived as a brake on innovation, it has the advantage of ensuring an ethical and responsible use of this technology, while protecting citizens’ rights and establishing clear safety standards.
Source: artificialintelligenceact.eu
