The EU Artificial Intelligence Act: Regulating Subliminal AI Systems

AI and other innovative technologies offer great opportunities but also pose serious ethical concerns, particularly regarding the manipulation of the human mind. There is a need for regulatory frameworks to address these concerns, and the book contextualises the future regulation of AI, specifically addressing the prohibition of subliminal techniques. Future innovations will enhance the possibilities for manipulating thoughts and behaviour, causing serious harm to individuals and society. The book aims to stimulate a transdisciplinary and transnational debate between students, academics, practitioners, policymakers, and citizens interested in the law and related disciplines.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 130 pages
Publication date: 27 May 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

AI in combination with other innovative technologies promises to bring unprecedented opportunities to all aspects of life. However, these technologies also hold great dangers, especially for the manipulation of the human mind, which has given rise to serious ethical concerns. While some sectoral regulatory efforts have been made to address these concerns, no regulatory framework for AI has yet been adopted. In 2021, the European Commission of the EU published a draft Act on Artificial Intelligence, and UNESCO followed suit with a Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. The book contextualizes the future regulation of AI, specifically addressing the regulatory challenges relating to the planned prohibition of the use of AI systems that deploy subliminal techniques. The convergence of AI with various related technologies, such as brain–computer interfaces, functional magnetic resonance imaging, robotics, and big data, already allows for mind reading or dream hacking through brain spyware, as well as other practices that intrude on cognition and the right to freedom of thought. Future innovations will enhance the possibilities for manipulating thoughts and behavior, and they threaten to cause serious harm to individuals as well as to society as a whole. The issue of subliminal perception and the ability to deceive and manipulate the mind below the threshold of awareness causes severe difficulties for law and democracy and raises important questions for the future of society. This book shows how cognitive, technological, and legal questions are intrinsically interwoven and aims to stimulate an urgently needed transdisciplinary and transnational debate between students, academics, practitioners, policymakers, and citizens interested not only in the law but also in disc.

Weight: 190g
Dimension: 216 x 138 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032333830