In February, EU parliamentarians’ proposals to regulate artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT did not include generative AI.
Two years ago, the bloc’s 108-page AI Act draft had only one reference to “chatbot.” Deepfakes—images or sounds that imitate humans—dominated AI-generated content.
By mid-April, European Parliament (MEPs) were scrambling to revise those laws to catch up with a surge of interest in generative AI, which has sparked amazement and fear since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT six months earl.
Lawyers expect the proposed bill to take years to pass.
However, their work speed is a rare example of consensus in Brussels, which is often criticized for its slow decision-making.
Last-minute changes
ChatGPT has been the fastest-growing app since its November launch, prompting Big Tech competitors to invest in generative AI firms like Anthropic and Midjourney.
Due to their massive popularity, EU industry head Thierry Breton and others called for ChatGPT-like service regulation.
Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and Twitter, endorsed a group that warned of existential peril from AI and called for tighter controls.
On April 17, the 12 MEPs who drafted the law signed an open letter agreeing with aspects of Musk’s message and urging world leaders to call a meeting to govern advancing AI.
On Thursday, the race ended with a revised draft of the law that prioritized copyright protection to control AI.
Interviews with four senators and two other people close to negotiations reveal for the first time how this tiny group of politicians hashed out what may become momentous legislation, changing the regulatory environment for OpenAI and its rivals, in only 11 days.
On the same day, two of them, Dragos Tudorache and Brando Benifei, proposed changes requiring companies with generative AI systems to disclose any copyrighted material used to train their models, according to four sources present at the meetings who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
Sources said that the tough new proposal had cross-party support.
Conservative MEP Axel Voss’s plan to require corporations to get rights holders’ consent before utilizing data was rejected as overly restrictive and may cripple the burgeoning sector.
The EU suggested legislation that might force a traditionally secretive business to be more transparent after a week of negotiations.
“I must admit that I was positively surprised on how we converged rather easily on what should be in the text on these models,” Tudorache told Reuters Friday.
“It shows there is a strong consensus, and a shared understanding on how to regulate at this point in time.”
If the committee approves the accord on May 11, EU member states will discuss it with the European Commission and Parliament in the trilogue.
“We are waiting to see if the deal holds until then,” a source added.
