European lawmakers believe the new law should apply across the island of Ireland, and British ministers initially rejected such an idea, but the two parties continue to work “closely together”.
The UK government continues to work with EU representatives over proposals for new European artificial intelligence laws to apply to Northern Ireland.
The EU AI law, first introduced last year, sets out the legal status of certain forms of AI, especially systems that are considered high-risk. Companies providing these tools for EU markers now face requirements around governance and risk management, transparency, and human oversight, as well as maintaining performance and accuracy standards.
In addition to these regulations, the law completely bans the most dangerous forms of AI, but leaves other low-risk tools unregulated.
The EU’s stance on AI legislation differs markedly from that of the UK, where ministers frequently say they prefer to regulate new technologies within individual sectors rather than through broad new laws or oversight bodies.
However, because the island of Ireland has a de facto open border between the EU and countries that are neither part of the EU nor part of the Schengen area, European legislators maintain that the AI law should also apply to Northern Ireland.
The UK is committed to a proportionate AI regulatory approach that is based on science and supports growth and innovation.
Doing so would require the formal approval of the Joint Committee between the EU and the UK, set up to oversee the ongoing operation of the Withdrawal Agreement. The agenda for the latest committee meeting states that artificial intelligence will be discussed and an “exchange of views” is expected.
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Britain has so far not responded to EU demands for European law to come into force in Northern Ireland. However, AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said talks between the two parties are ongoing.
“EU AI law is complex and requires further dialogue and consideration regarding its interaction with the Windsor Framework,” he said. “The UK Government appreciates this proposal and will continue to work closely with the EU.”
He set out the process by which EU law will be adopted in line with the post-Brexit situation for the governance of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, including the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework.
“The European Council has published a proposed decision to apply limited EU AI law to Northern Ireland under Article 13(4) of the Windsor Framework,” Mr Narayan said in response to a written question from Traditional Unionist Voice Party MP Jim Allister. “This legislation will only apply following agreement in the Joint Committee on the Withdrawal Agreement and will be subject to the mechanisms in Schedule 6B of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.”
The minister said the potential update to the UK’s legal framework for the use of AI would be part of the government’s broader efforts to make the most of the technology.
“We recognize the need to engage with a variety of stakeholders as we develop our approaches to AI,” he said. “This includes working with the EU and other international partners to discuss their respective regulatory approaches and ensure they are effective.”
