Traffic Regulation and EU's AI ACT

At the end of the nineteenth century, due to the rise in motor vehicle usage, large cities in Europe and the US faced a major issue: cars clogging the streets, collisions with horse-drawn carriages and pedestrian accidents.

In 1900 William P. Eno, a New Yorker businessman and public-spirited citizen tired of the daily chaos, wrote a paper entitled “Reform in Our Street Traffic Urgently Needed.” In this paper and its later developments, Mr. Eno shaped traffic as we know it today: roundabouts, one-way streets, stop signs, crosswalks, ……….

New York did not take long to apply some of his recommendations. In 1901, it became the first state in the US to require automobile owners to register their vehicles, followed by installing traffic lights, street signs and parking meters. California was the first state to require driving licenses in 1927.

The application of these rules not only improved the chaotic traffic situation but also fostered the automotive industry and overall economic progress.

Mr. Eno asserted that there were three elements any public regulation should pursue:

1.????We must have concise, simple, and just rules, easily understood, obeyed, and enforced under legal enactment.

2.????These rules must be so well-placed and circulated that there can be no excuse for not knowing them.

3.????The police must be empowered and ordered to enforce them, and men should be trained.

Recently, I’ve read many criticisms of the EU’s AI Act, which applies from this month. There is undoubtedly space for improvement in this legislation, and it is easily arguable that some elements are vague or difficult to apply. However, this is not an easy field to regulate, and my perception after reading the Act is that the Commission has decided to move forward even though some aspects remain open.

I support this bold approach because the Commission could keep in its safe zone by just publishing another recommendation paper or setting up another AI council. Nevertheless, the Commission chose to establish the world’s first AI regulation.

For those of us who work with AI implementations, this is good news, contrary to what many advocate, regulation (even if not perfect) is sometimes good if not necessary, as Mr. Eno would agree.

If you are interested, I link an abstract of the Act done by the London-based firm Slaughter and May, which I found particularly well crafted.