Seminar Series: Computation & Data

Katharina Goldberg (HSU) – Legal Introduction to the AI Act
The AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council on 13 June 2024. This regulation was preceded by many years of preparation, discussions and lobbying by various interest groups. The result is a 144-page regulation that does not convince all legal experts and is currently the subject of much debate in specialist circles.
This presentation will provide an overview of the basic regulatory structure of the AI Act, its (future) areas of application, the legal consequences of categorising AI systems into the various risk groups and the new players for AI governance created by the AI Act.
The term “AI system” will be discussed first. The regulation has created a new definition here, which will be used in all EU member states in the future to define technical systems. In addition, the AI Regulation refers to the European standardization organizations CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, which will be responsible for formulating technical standards for the use of AI in the future. From a legal perspective, this is problematic because it means that important (definitional) decisions are taken away from the democratic legislator and entrusted to expert bodies.
For the regulation of the different types of AI, the regulation distinguishes between AI applications with an unacceptable risk, which are generally prohibited, and those of different risk categories, which are generally permitted. The prohibited category includes AI applications that manipulate human behaviour, use real-time remote biometric identification in public places and are used for social scoring. AI applications are on the other hand permitted in different graded risk categories: High-risk applications, General-purpose AI, Limited Risk AI and Minimal Risk AI. The use of AI in these risk groups is subject to graduated requirements (risk-based approach). The presentation will present these distinctions and outline their legal consequences.
A new governance structure for AI in the EU will also be created. Future actors are the AI Office, the European Artificial Intelligence Board, the Advisory Forum and the Scientific Panel of Independent Experts. The member states must also appoint competent national authorities. The presentation will also address the tasks of these actors.

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Felix Gehlhoff – Working on the Edge: Harnessing AI at the Frontier of Professional Innovations
This presentation delves into the expanding role of AI across various professional and creative domains. The discussion will cover the broad capabilities and potential risks of integrating AI into modern practices. Key points will include the “jagged frontier” of AI’s capabilities, advocating for a proactive exploration of AI applications to fully leverage its potential while being mindful of its limitations. The analogy of treating AI like a person will be highlighted, emphasizing AI’s proficiency in language-based tasks and its implications for educational contexts. This perspective invites us to reconsider how AI can facilitate active and engaging learning opportunities.