An analysis carried out by the US government has reportedly raised issues relating to the upcoming EU AI Act, saying that it could limit investment to only the biggest tech companies. Credit: Shutterstock An analysis carried out by the US government has raised concerns about the EU’s AI Act, warning that the legislation put forward by the bloc could end up curbing investment in the technology and favoring large AI companies at the expense of smaller rivals. The analysis, carried by the State Department, also warned that the EU regulations are likely to dampen “the expected boost to productivity” expected from AI-based technology and potentially lead to “a migration of jobs and investment to other markets,” according to a report from Bloomberg. Furthermore, as-yet unpublished documents related to the analysis describe some of the rules in the EU’s AI Act as “vague or undefined.” Similar criticisms, though, were levelled at the US government in July after President Joe Biden sought “voluntary commitments” from seven leading AI tech companies to help address safety, security, and trust issues associated with the technology. Meanwhile, investment in AI research, development and commercialization within the EU is likely to suffer, according to the State Departmen analysis, with the resource-intensive nature of training large language models (LLMs) limiting the competitiveness of European firms. The cost of compliance with the AI Act could mean that only the largest tech companies would have the resources to train machine learning systems, according to the analysis. The State Department declined to comment. “We do not comment on purportedly leaked information,” according to a statement sent by a State Department spokesperson. “Through our strong and continuous partnership with the European Union, we seek digital solidarity on key bilateral issues.” While the US government has yet to publish a legislative plan for AI that’s as comprehensive as its European counterpart, it appears that so far the US is taking a risk-focused approach to regulating how AI models are being used, looking mainly at possible negative outcomes. In comparison, while the EU has taken the risk of AI into account, its legislation is more heavily focused on how AI models are being developed. The EU’s AI legislation agenda The European Parliament approved a draft of the EU’s AI Act in July, although each EU country needing to agree on the bill before it becomes law. The legislation currently includes a requirement for generative AI systems to comply with transparency requirements by disclosing if content was AI-generated, and helping to distinguish deep-fake images from real ones. However, some of the more controversial rules that are expected to see some backlash include the total ban on biometric surveillance in public settings and so-called “social scoring” systems, which classify people based on their social behavior, socioeconomic status, and personal characteristics. Members of Parliament that make up the center-right European People’s Party faction of the body have argued that a total ban on biometric use could hamper crime-solving and counter-terrorism efforts. Related content feature Windows 11 Insider Previews: What’s in the latest build? Get the latest info on new preview builds of Windows 11 as they roll out to Windows Insiders. Now updated for Build 22635.3566 for the Beta Channel, released on April 26, 2024. By Preston Gralla Apr 26, 2024 251 mins Small and Medium Business Microsoft Windows 11 news Dropbox adds end-to-end encryption for team folders Dropbox this week unveiled a range of features, including security updates and key management, and the ability to co-edit Microsoft 365 documents from within the file-sharing app. By Matthew Finnegan Apr 26, 2024 3 mins Cloud Storage Collaboration Software Productivity Software feature Android versions: A living history from 1.0 to 15 Explore Android's ongoing evolution with this visual timeline of versions, starting B.C. (Before Cupcake) and going all the way to 2024's Android 15 (beta) release. By JR Raphael Apr 26, 2024 23 mins Small and Medium Business Smartphones Android news analysis The unspoken obnoxiousness of Google's Gemini improvements Google's Gemini chatbot is seeing all sorts of upgrades on Android this week, but those advancements reveal a darker underlying reality. By JR Raphael Apr 26, 2024 12 mins Google Assistant Google Android Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe