BEERG Newsletter - EU: Worrying amendment to Artificial Intelligence Act is proposed

An extremely concerning amendment to the proposed Artificial Intelligence Act is up for discussion in the European Parliament as MEPs work on their negotiating mandate for talks on the law with the Council and Commission. The proposed amendment reads:

Prior to putting into service or use a high-risk AI system at the workplace, users shall consult workers representatives, inform the affected employees that they will be subject to the system and obtain their consent

This amendment, were it to find its way into the final text, would seem to hand a veto on the use of such systems to employees’ representatives and individual employees. Certainly, employees’ representatives would see it that way. What happens if a works council agrees to a system but individual employees object? This amendment, if adopted, would have extremely unwelcome consequences. 

We would strongly advise all members to draw the attention of their government relations/public affairs colleagues to this and ask them to raise the matter through appropriate channels.