Monash University experts are available to discuss the European Union’s AI Act, which is the first generic law on AI by a major jurisdiction and will assign the applications of AI to a number of regulatory categories that may require future high risk AI systems to be tested before their deployment.
Professor Chris Marsden, Faculty of Law, Monash University
Contact: +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]
Read more of Professor Marsden’s commentary in the Canberra Times.
The following can be attributed to Professor Marsden:
“The AI Act could actually deregulate the AI industry, compared to national laws in Europe. Despite the loud lobbying from mainly US AI companies in the past month, it is no anti-innovation regulatory weapon for users against abuse by giant corporations. Ultimately, this law could be used to protect AI companies from regulation of their own potentially harmful products and services.
“There is very little prospect of this AI Act successfully regulating the worst excesses of AI. One prospect that may mean more centralised regulation is if the proposed AI Office becomes an Agency; however, that prospect could be a decade away.
“Overnight, the Irish data protection commissioner stopped Google from deploying AI-assisted search. For the next several years, it is enforced via the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the 2016 EU law on data protection, which is more likely to prevent the worst excesses of inappropriate, harmful and discriminatory consumer AI deployment.
“Australia can observe the ‘Brussels effect’ AI Regulation calmly, noting that it was never intended to have teeth. Minister Husic outlined his ambition in October: ‘I want Australia to become the world leader in responsible AI. This includes setting reasonable regulations and standards.’ This European AI Act will set a very low bar for the Australian government to match or exceed.”
Professor Geoff Webb, Department of Data Science & AI, Faculty of Information Technology
Contact: +61 450 501 248 or [email protected]
- Fundamentals of AI
- Machine learning
- Data mining
The following can be attributed to Professor Webb:
“The EU’s first tentative moves to create guardrails for AI systems are to be commended. All the hyperbole about existential threats serves to distract from the real harms these systems can already perpetrate. Australia must act now to build AI capacity through training and research if it is not to be left at the mercy of international big tech.”
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For any other topics on which you may be seeking expert comment, contact the Monash University Media Unit on +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]
