EU's Groundbreaking AI Act: Strict Regulations and Heavy Fines for Emotion Tracking and Manipulative Systems
February 19, 2025
The Act categorizes AI systems into four risk levels: unacceptable, high, limited, and minimal risk, with varying compliance requirements for each category.
The European Union has implemented the EU AI Act to regulate artificial intelligence, which will be fully enforceable by August 2, 2026.
Call centers are also not allowed to use webcams or voice recognition systems to monitor employee emotions under the new guidelines.
The framework aims to balance the benefits of AI with the need to mitigate risks, providing clarity for developers and robust protections for EU citizens.
The Act prohibits manipulative AI techniques, such as deceptive design practices and social scoring systems, to protect users from exploitation.
The guidelines aim to mitigate privacy concerns and biases in AI emotion detection, recognizing the variability of emotional expression across cultures.
Key provisions of the Act include a ban on AI-driven emotion recognition systems in workplaces, except for specific medical or safety applications.
Cases of employee emotion tracking in Europe have raised ethical concerns, highlighting the need for these regulations.
HR leaders are encouraged to conduct company-wide training to educate employees about the new laws and their implications.
Organizations must begin preparations now to avoid penalties for violations, which can reach up to €15 million or 3% of global annual turnover, and up to €35 million or 7% for prohibited systems.
Overall, the EU AI Act signals a shift towards responsible AI governance, balancing technological innovation with the protection of human rights.
The EU's approach contrasts with the United States' voluntary compliance model and China's state-controlled AI strategy.
Summary based on 7 sources
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Sources
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ET Online and Agencies • Feb 17, 2025
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HRD America • Feb 11, 2025
EU's new AI Act restricts emotion recognition systems in workplaces