Last week, the European Parliament and the European Council agreed reached a deal on the “AI Omnibus,” allowing EU rules on Artificial Intelligence to be amended.
This omnibus will raise the bar for user protection standards by placing a ban on ‘nudifier’ applications – which use AI to create sexually explicit images of an identifiable person without their consent.
Michael McNamara MEP (IE), who negotiated the package as Rapporteur in the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee, said:
“I am relieved that we reached an agreement early this morning that simplifies some key aspects of AI regulation in Europe while maintaining protections. We also reached agreement that AI that generates non-consensual sexual imagery or child sex abuse material would be banned.”
This ban was not in the original European Commission proposal and was an amendment tabled by Renew Europe, which made into the final version of the law.
On the simplification side, this omnibus delays provisions of the AI Act by 3 to 4 months so that businesses have more time to adapt in areas such as an obligation to label AI generated content. The omnibus will also remove overlaps in law such as in the machinery sector.
ALDE Party President Svenja Hahn MEP (FDP, DE) who negotiated the file for Renew Europe, also commented:
“The AI Omnibus deal is a step into the right direction for European businesses. By limiting unnecessary double regulation of industrial AI and taking Machinery products out of the AI Act, we are cutting red tape, strengthening legal certainty, and giving many companies the freedom to innovate and stay competitive. We wanted this solution for more sectors to boost AI made in Europe even more, but that was unfortunately not possible with the member states.”