The MEPs today agreed to changes to a draft law on the rules that should govern artificial intelligence (AI) proposed by the European Commission in a bid to create global standards for a technology used everywhere from automated factories to automated applications such as ChatGPT. MEPs will now have to discuss the details with European Union countries before the rules become law.

“AI raises many questions — social, ethical, economic. But now is not the time to press ‘pause’. Instead, it’s about acting quickly and taking responsibility,” said EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton .

The biggest issue is expected to be facial recognition and biometric surveillance where some MEPs want a total ban while EU countries want an exemption for national security, defense and military purposes.