Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Robo-cop: EU wants firms to be held liable for harm done by AI

Robo-cop: EU wants firms to be held liable for harm done by AI

New liability regime would give victims of AI systems their day in court.
The European Commission on Wednesday proposed new rules that would see makers of artificial intelligence-powered software and products forced to compensate people harmed by their creations.

A new AI Liability Directive would make it easier to sue for compensation when a person or organization gets hurt or suffers damages through artificial intelligence-powered drones and robots or because of software such as automated hiring algorithms.

“The new rules will give victims of damage caused by AI systems an equal chance and access to a fair trial and redress,” Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders told reporters ahead of the presentation of the proposals.

The draft law is the latest attempt by European officials to regulate AI and set a global standard to control the flourishing technology. It comes as the EU is in the throes of negotiating the AI Act, the world’s first bill to rein in high-risk uses of AI, including facial recognition, "social scoring" systems and AI-boosted software for immigration and social benefits.

“If we want to have real trust of consumers and users in the AI application, we need to be sure that it's possible to have such an access to compensation and to have access to real decision in justice if it's needed, without too many obstacles, like the opacity of the systems,” said Reynders.

Under the new law, victims would be able to challenge a provider, developer or user of AI technology if they suffer damage to their health or property, or suffer discrimination based on fundamental rights such as privacy. Until now, it has been hard and extremely expensive for victims to build cases when they think they have been harmed by an AI because the technology is complex and opaque.

Courts would get more power to pry open the black boxes of AI companies and ask for detailed information about the data used for the algorithms, the technical specifications and risk-control mechanisms.

With this new access to information, victims could prove that damage came from a tech company that sold an AI system or that the user of the AI — for instance, a university, workplace or government agency — failed to comply with obligations in other European laws like the AI Act or a directive to protect platform workers. Victims would also have to prove the damage is linked to the specific AI applications.

The European Commission also presented a revamped Product Liability Directive. The 1985 law is not adapted for new product categories like connected devices, and revised rules aim to enable customers to claim compensation when they experience harm from a defective software update, upgrade or service. The proposed product liability rules also bring online marketplaces into the crosshairs, which, according to the rules, can be held liable if they don't disclose the name of a trader to a person that experienced harm upon request.

The Commission's proposal will still need approval from national governments in the EU Council and from the European Parliament.

Parliament in particular could object to the European Commission's choice to propose a weaker liability regime than it itself suggested earlier.

The chamber in 2020 called on the Commission to adopt rules to ensure victims of harmful AI can obtain compensation, asking specifically that developers, providers and users of high-risk autonomous AI could be held legally responsible even for unintentional harm. But the EU executive decided to go with a “pragmatic” approach that is weaker than this strict liability regime, saying the evidence was “not sufficient to justify” such a regime.

“We chose the lowest level of intervention,” said Reynders. “We need to see whether new developments [will] justify stronger rules for the future.”

The Commission will review whether a stricter regime is needed, five years after it comes into force, it said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×