Last week the United Kingdom announced their intention to create more innovation in AI by scaling back regulatory parameters enforced under the EU’s GDPR statute. This step leaves many experts asking how UK-based AI vendors can foster innovation when their technology may not be able to be used universally across Europe, effectively cutting off a large portion of their addressable market. It will be interesting to watch how many UK developers weigh the strategic opportunities and risks of such a lower regulatory bar.
This comes at the same time as the UN has called for more regulations on AI and ML to ensure models are ethical and responsible. While innovation in AI is vitally important to the future, being able to monitor and govern over these sometimes unpredictable programs is equally – if not more – important. Without proper safeguards in place, AI is more susceptible to abnormalities that can harm the lives of consumers in profound ways.