The draft regulation on a ‘European approach for artificial intelligence’ has been published online before planned announcement by the European Commission on 21 April 2021. 

The draft regulation aims to ensure protection of public interests, in particular the health, safety and fundamental rights and freedoms of persons, by establishing normative standards for all high-risk AI systems, including those used by law enforcement. Exempt from this regulation is use of AI systems in the military and in safeguarding public security.

The draft regulation aims to ban use of high-risk AI systems designed or used in a manner that manipulates human behaviour, opinions or decisions, for indiscriminate surveillance applied in a generalised manner, for social scoring, and other.

The draft regulation introduces oversight for high-risk AI systems, their assessment before they are put into service, and establishment of a European Artificial Intelligence Board. This regulation should apply to EU companies, those that operate in the EU or impact EU citizens.