Humane AI

The EU Commission wants to use a series of measures to make AI even more accessible in the interests of people in Europe and further increase Europe's competitiveness.

In addition to the promotion of investments, the development of ethical guidelines is planned. The Commission proposes a concept based on the following three pillars: Increasing public and private investment, preparing for socio-economic changes and ensuring an appropriate ethical and legal framework.

According to the Commission, the EU should increase investment in AI research and development in the public and private sectors by at least EUR 20 billion in total by the end of 2020.

To this end, the Commission is increasing its investments under the "Horizon 2020" research and innovation program to EUR 1.5 billion in the period from 2018 to 2020.

These investments are intended to mobilize additional funds from existing public-private partnerships amounting to 2.5 billion euros, for example in the areas of big data and robotics.

They will help to support AI development in key areas - from transport to healthcare - network and strengthen AI research centers across Europe and promote AI testing and trials.

In addition, the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) should be used to provide companies and start-ups with additional funding for AI investments.

For example, the EFSI aims to mobilize total investment of more than €500 million in a number of key areas by 2020. The Commission will also continue to work on creating an investment-friendly environment.

Like any revolutionary technology, artificial intelligence can raise new ethical and legal issues, such as liability or potentially biased decisions.

New technologies should not change our values. The Commission will therefore draw up ethical guidelines for AI development by the end of 2018, based on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

In doing so, it will take into account principles such as data protection and transparency and draw on the work of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies.

In developing these guidelines, the Commission will also work together with all stakeholders in a European AI Alliance. By mid-2019, the Commission will also present a guideline on the interpretation of the Product Liability Directive, taking into account technical developments, in order to provide consumers and manufacturers with clarity on their rights and obligations in the event of product defects.