New EU rules on AI deepfakes and chatbots

New EU rules on artificial intelligence come into force from today which mean that deepfakes and other AI-generated content must be labelled.

Companies are also now obliged to make it clear if customers are dealing with an AI chatbot as opposed to a human.

The EU AI Act became law two years ago but its provisions are taking effect on a phased basis.

The new rules that begin from today place transparency obligations on companies using artificial intelligence.

"Back in 1950, the famous computer scientist Alan Turing came up with the 'Turing Test' to identify whether or not something was AI," said Barry Scannell, AI law specialist with William Fry.

"The idea behind it was to see if someone could tell if they were talking to a computer.

"In recent years, we have blown past the 'Turing Test' and it is now very difficult to know if you are talking to an AI or a human.

"The new laws being introduced today will help people have a better understanding of when something is real or when they are interacting with a computer," Mr Scannell said.

The new rules do not just relate to images and video.

Text that aims to inform the public on general interest issues will also have to be labelled if it has been created using AI without human editorial oversight.

Companies found to be in breach of the EU's AI rules could be hit with heavy fines.

AI Office of Ireland

Also from today, the newly established AI Office of Ireland comes into operation.

"It is a milestone in terms of the development of artificial intelligence across this island," said Niamh Smyth, Minister of State with responsibility for AI.

"The National AI Office will work with the 15 competent authorities, the existing regulators that are in place, to ensure that companies are AI compliant and to ensure that citizens have a regulatory framework here in Ireland.

"If people have complaints or concerns around AI, now with the National AI Office established, they have somewhere to go to with those complaints.

"It will mean for the people of Ireland that finally they will have transparency and accountability, and most importantly, there will be a watchdog in place to see how AI develops across the country.

"We are also developing a sandbox through the National AI Office that will allow startup companies to develop their technology in a way that is safe but also that ensures that it meets the guardrails within the European Union, and the criteria that's required of them to do it in a safe and human-centric way," Ms Smyth said.

Brendan Kean, Partner at business advisory firm Baker Tilly Ireland said the establishment of the AI Office of Ireland is a welcome and necessary step that sends a strong signal that Ireland intends to lead, not follow others, when it comes to the ethical adoption of AI.

"As AI becomes firmly embedded in our everyday lives, putting in place a clear, credible regulatory framework is the right thing to do - not only to protect citizens, but to give businesses the confidence to invest, innovate and scale responsibly," Mr Kean said.

"The challenge now is ensuring regulation becomes an enabler, not a barrier.

"Getting that balance right will be critical for Ireland to strengthen its position as a leading global destination for AI investment and innovation," he added.