According to a report by the Associated Press, EU negotiators have reached a historic agreement on the world's first comprehensive AI regulation, putting the EU at the forefront of technology governance. This agreement, known as the "Artificial Intelligence Act," represents a significant milestone in the legal supervision of AI technology. After tense negotiations between the European Parliament and the 27 EU member states, the agreement has been finalized. These discussions focused on key differences in addressing controversial issues, including generative AI and the use of facial recognition surveillance by law enforcement agencies. European Commission Commissioner Thierry Breton praised the agreement as a groundbreaking step, making the EU the first continent to establish clear rules for AI use. The key points of contention: generative AI and facial recognition The key to the negotiations was the rapid emergence of generative AI systems like OpenAI's ChatGPT. These systems have attracted global attention with their human-like capabilities, but have also sparked debates about the potential risks they pose to employment, privacy, and even human life. The "Artificial Intelligence Act," initially proposed in 2021, has been updated to reflect the latest developments in generative AI. It categorizes AI functionalities based on risk levels and includes provisions for the underlying models that support general AI services. These models now need to ensure that their technical documentation complies with EU copyright law and maintain transparency in training content. One of the most controversial topics in the negotiations was the use of AI-driven facial recognition surveillance systems. However, EU negotiators have reached a compromise that allows law enforcement agencies to use such systems to combat serious crimes, despite concerns from human rights groups about privacy infringements. The impact of the AI Act may extend beyond the EU, setting standards for global AI regulations. Companies bound by these rules may extend certain obligations to other markets to improve efficiency. The Act also emphasizes the EU's commitment to balancing technological innovation with security and ethical considerations. However, the final version of the AI Act has faced criticism from civil society groups and rights organizations. Concerns include exemptions for law enforcement agencies, lack of protection in immigration and border control, and potential loopholes for developers to avoid classifying their systems as high-risk. Note: The HTML tags have been retained as requested, with the removal of style and class attributes.