Science|Business: EU's AI regulation

Haydn Belfield was interviewed by Science|Business about the EU's AI regulation.

Researchers and industry are battling for influence over the AI policy.

“There’s an incredible opportunity here to begin to tackle high-risk applications of AI. There’s also this real chance to set standards for the entire world,” said Haydn Belfield, research associate and academic project manager at Cambridge University’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk.

Policymakers and the public are concerned about applications such as autonomous weapons and government social scoring systems similar to those under development in China. Facial scanning software is already creeping into use Europe, operating with little oversight.

“You don’t have to be an expert in AI to see there’s a really high risk to peoples’ life and liberty from some of these new applications,” said Belfield.