Artificial intelligence: a reading from European politics

Abstract

At least since 2018, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been in a state of real effervescence. At the end of 2022, it became popular thanks to an advanced AI called Chat GPT. The proliferation of countless AI tools, in commercial versions, applicable to various professional, public and private spheres, has fuelled the debate on its evolution, impact, use or regulation. It is an exponential, disruptive, cross-cutting technology that raises ethical, legal and political questions and challenges. This chapter attempts to provide a political reflection on the EU’s regulatory approach to AI. First, it outlines the general context in which the EU should address the regulatory treatment of AI. Second, it looks at the threats and risks generated by AI which, to a large extent, are conditioned by the adoption of a techno-optimistic or techno-pessimistic reading. Thirdly, it examines models of governance and public intervention in the area of AI. Finally, it reviews the response offered by European institutions to the challenges posed and the regulatory model adopted in the field of AI.