EU Parliament Calls For More Consumer Protection In AI, Automation

Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee issued a resolution Thursday (Jan. 23) that will put rules into place to address the challenges of fast-developing artificial intelligence and automated decision-making technology.

The committee said citizens should always be adequately informed about both kinds of technology, including how to reach a human with decision-making powers and about how the tech’s decisions can be questioned or corrected.

Under the new rules, any system utilizing AI or ADM technology should use only the highest-quality, unbiased sets of data and there should be review systems set up so that any mistakes can be corrected. The committee said it should also be possible at all times to speak with human representatives to review the decisions made by AI or ADM.

The committee said that humans must “ultimately be responsible” for the processes of AI and ADM processes, particularly in fields such as medical, legal and accounting.

The committee also warned that AI and ADM technology would evolve over time and so the regulations may have to be updated. Because of that, the group said proposals to safety rules on products like toys or machinery should be tabled so that people are protected from harm and clear on how to use the products.

It also wanted to ensure that customers are informed about when the products they buy have had prices determined by ADM services. There must also be checks to ensure that ADM is not being used for insidious means like discriminating against someone for their nationality, place of residence or anything else via higher pricing rates.

From here, the resolution must be approved by the full House, which will happen at an upcoming plenary session. There will be a presentation about a European approach to AI in February.

Regulations for AI and ADM technology have been talked about as of late, with IBM recently announcing its new Policy Lab to study and make recommendations on how to deal with AI, and the EU looking to do the same as they foray into global relations over the topic.