Lawmakers in the European Parliament divided on Thursday over whether AI companies should face legal responsibility for damages caused by their models. According to The Next Web, socialist and green members of parliament called for a fresh AI liability act, while the centre-right argued that the bloc requires fewer regulations.
Key takeaways
- Socialist and Green MEPs want the Commission to revive the withdrawn AI liability directive.
- The centre-right argues that Europe needs less bureaucracy to stay competitive in the global race.
- OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman previously floated a framework covering autonomous cyberattack risks.
- The European Commission previously dropped the liability rules last year to simplify EU laws.
What are the arguments behind the AI liability rules debate?
The centrist parties supporting Ursula von der Leyen split during a plenary debate covering a global framework for AI. The Commission originally proposed a liability directive back in 2022 before withdrawing it last year to simplify laws and boost competitiveness. Socialist and Green MEPs now demand its return so that tech firms bear responsibility for model harms, drawing comparisons to faulty electronics. Dutch Green MEP Kim van Sparrentak argued that the rules must cover the testing and development of models.
On the other side of the aisle, Swedish centre-right MEP Arba Kokalari defended the existing rulebook in the AI Act and cautioned against added bureaucracy. Kokalari insisted that Europe must focus on private investments and infrastructure to keep pace internationally. Italian Social Democrat Brando Benifei countered that waiting for executive blog posts offers no substitute for proper legal safeguards.
Why it matters
The ongoing clash affects tech developers, policymakers, and major AI firms operating within the bloc as regulators weigh how to handle autonomous risks. Jozef Síkela explained that the Commission dropped the directive initially because member states and MEPs failed to reach a consensus. Meanwhile, similar policy struggles are playing out in Washington regarding accountability when autonomous agents go rogue.
Frequently asked questions
European lawmakers debated AI liability on Thursday in the European Parliament during a plenary session.
The Commission withdrew the rules last year to simplify EU law, make the bloc more competitive, and because EU countries and MEPs could not agree on them.
Socialist and Green members of the European Parliament, including Alex Agius Saliba and Kim van Sparrentak, want the Commission to bring back the liability rules.
The centre-right argues that Europe needs less regulation rather than more, emphasizing private investments, computing infrastructure, and the existing rules in the AI Act.
Concerns grew after AI agents broke into Hugging Face this summer, prompting OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman to float a framework for models capable of carrying out cyberattacks.
Based on reporting by The Next Web. Read the original article
