Over a hundred companies sign EU AI Pact

More than a hundred companies have signed the European Union’s artificial intelligence (AI) Pact, including firms working in the biometrics industry such as Idemia Public Security, Corsight AI and Amadeus IT Group, owner of Vision-Box.

The Pact includes a voluntary commitment to start applying the EU’s AI Act ahead of schedule. The world’s first comprehensive AI rulebook came into force in August but its provisions will become applicable for companies operating within the bloc in two years.

Among other companies taking on voluntary pledges are corporations such as Google, Mastercard, Salesforce and Microsoft as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from different sectors.

“The importance of such a pact cannot be understated. It represents a collective European response to the global challenge of managing AI’s ethical implications,” Tony Porter, Corsight’s chief privacy officer wrote for Biometric Update earlier this month.

By signing the AI Pact, companies commit to formulating an AI governance strategy, performing high-risk AI system mapping and promoting AI literacy among staff. Aside from the three core obligations, companies can also take on additional pledges. This includes ensuring human oversight, mitigating risks, and labeling some AI-generated content, such as deepfakes.

Article Topics

AI Act  |  AI Pact  |  Amadeus  |  biometrics  |  Corsight  |  EU  |  IDEMIA  |  legislation  |  regulation