#217 AI regulation is a global concern - Where will Australia fit in among China, the US and EU? With Felipe Flores, Data Futurology Founder and Podcast Host.

Data Futurology - Leadership And Strategy in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science

AI is a powerful tool, and as enterprise and government find more sophisticated ways to leverage the technology, there will be untold benefits returned to customers. At the same time, the responsible use of AI is of significant concern to the global population, and people are watching how its use is regulated closely.

On this week’s Data Futurology podcast, Felipe Flores presents an update on the status of regulation across Europe, China, and the US, and poses the question about whether AI regulation needs to be a global, rather than regional response.

Perhaps surprisingly, China’s taken the lead in regulating how business uses AI, Flores said. “The regulation says that businesses must notify users when an AI algorithm is playing a role in determining which information to display to them and give users the option to opt out of being targeted. The regulation also prohibits algorithms that use personal data to offer different prices to different consumers. It is really interesting that China moved early.”

Meanwhile, in the EU, the drafted regulation would categorise AI applications into one of four “risk” profiles, with oversight and accountability being scaled in kind. And in the US, much of the focus around regulation at the federal level is concerned with the potential for discrimination, while states are being left to develop their own broader frameworks.

Australia, which doesn’t yet have regulation, does have an ethical framework, which is an indication of where future regulation might go. Flores runs through that framework in this podcast as well.

For an in-depth look into the exciting and dynamic discourse around AI regulation across the world, tune into the podcast!

Enjoy the show!

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What we discussed:

00:00 Introduction

2:05 Discussion around AI regulation and how should different countries tackle it.

2:50 How have the US, China and the EU approached this.

5:00 EU regulations

8:05 USA regulations

9:40 Thoughts and comparison on the three approaches.

11:10 What’s happening in Australia.

Quotes:

· In March 2022, China passed a regulation that governs companies and their use of AI. The regulations applies to online recommender systems. They say the AI needs to be used in ways that are moral, ethical, accountable, transparent and that disseminate positive energy.

· Companies (in China) are expected to submit their algorithms to the government for review when they are being used at scale.

· The EU separates the ways AI can be used into four bands according to the risk involved. They have minimal risk, limited risk, high risk and unacceptable risk. The unacceptable risk covers things like social surveillance, facial recognition, etc.

· The US congress enacted a National AI Initiative Act, focused on improving research development, understanding AI and having an AI strategy within the country.