The planned launch of our website in 2024
In 2024, significant strides were made in AI governance, with the European Union leading the way with the adoption and implementation of the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). This landmark legislation, the first comprehensive legal framework globally, introduces a risk-based approach to AI regulation, categorising systems by levels of risk and banning certain practices like government social scoring and harmful voice-assisted toys. The AI Act applies broadly to any AI marketed or used in the EU, irrespective of the developer's location.
The Act aims to foster trustworthy AI by ensuring safety, fundamental rights, and human-centric AI, accompanied by complementary measures such as the AI Innovation Package and voluntary AI Pact to engage stakeholders before full enforcement. In the UK, while the AI Act itself does not apply directly, governance efforts are aligned through discussions about regulatory sandboxes, which allow controlled innovation with reduced enforcement to better understand AI impacts and adapt regulation accordingly.
However, challenges remain. The difficulty in effectively prosecuting or enforcing AI regulations globally is a significant concern, despite the EU Act’s extra-territorial scope. Addressing transparency issues in AI decision-making to prevent unfair discrimination or harm is another key challenge, as existing legislation is inadequate for AI-specific challenges. Balancing the need for innovation with strong oversight is also a complex task, as regulatory frameworks must avoid stifling beneficial AI development while managing risks. Coordinating across jurisdictions, where approaches diverge, complicates international governance and cooperation.
To address these challenges, Ada, a leading organisation in AI research and policy, will continue to drive work on evaluating and documenting the real-world impacts of AI and data-driven technologies on communities and society. Ada will also engage with different publics and workers to critically examine the values embedded in AI implementation. The organisation will publish research on AI assistants and deepen work on liability and AI agents in the new year.
In addition, Ada will conduct new research asking people about their thoughts on the relationship between AI and public good. The organisation will also build on its work on public compute and AI industrial policy in 2025. Ada's research has already highlighted that the way gender is coded in data-driven systems can have unintended consequences on the people the data represents.
The focus on public interest AI at the upcoming AI Action Summit in France could be a significant intervention in AI governance. Ada will also argue for robust regulation of AI at the national level, with a need for international alignment. The organisation has also called for a National Taskforce for the Procurement of AI in Local Government to address challenges in this area.
As the conversation around AI safety continues, with a focus on context-specific evaluations of AI systems, it is clear that Ada will play a crucial role in shaping the future of AI governance. The upcoming year, 2025, will be a year in which attention must be paid to who is in the driver's seat of AI governance.
Sources: [1] European Commission. (2021). Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act). https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12527-Proposal-for-a-Regulation-on-Artificial-Intelligence-Artificial-Intelligence-Act
[2] European Parliament. (2022). European Parliament report on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0303_EN.html
[3] House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence. (2021). AI in the UK: Ready, Willing and Able? https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld202122/ldselect/ldsacomsc/121/121.pdf
[4] European Data Protection Supervisor. (2021). Opinion 06/2021 on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act). https://edps.europa.eu/sites/edpssite/files/publication/21-06-21_opinion_06_2021_artificial-intelligence-act_en.pdf
[5] UK Government. (2021). Regulatory sandbox. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/regulatory-sandbox-for-financial-services-and-markets
Technology plays a crucial role in shaping the future of AI governance, as Ada, a leading organization in AI research and policy, will continue to evaluate and document its real-world impacts on communities and society. This includes research on AI assistants, AI agents, and the relationship between AI and public good, aiming to ensure the development of AI that prioritizes safety, human rights, and public interest.
