Upcoming EU AI Standards and Global Efforts for Harmonization

Europe is developing new standards to regulate AI technologies, ensuring their safe and responsible use. The focus is on creating a clear framework that aligns with the EU AI Act and previous standards. These new AI standards, currently being drafted by the Joint Technical Committee 21 (JTC21) at CEN-CENELEC, will provide the technical specifications needed for compliance.

The standardization request by EU AI Act

The European Union has identified 10 key items for which it is requesting standards and standardization deliverables. Those 10 standardization requests are:

• risk management system for AI systems, 
• governance and quality of datasets used to build AI systems, 
• record keeping through logging capabilities by AI systems, 
• transparency and information provisions to the users of AI systems, 
• human oversight of AI systems, 
• accuracy specifications for AI systems, 
• robustness specifications for AI systems, 
• cybersecurity specifications for AI systems, 
• quality management system for providers of AI systems, including post-market monitoring process, 
• conformity assessment for AI systems.

Sector-Specific Standards

In addition to general AI governance, Europe is working on standards tailored to specific industries such as healthcare, finance, and transportation. These will ensure that AI systems meet the particular safety and reliability requirements of each sector, facilitating the integration of AI into critical decision-making processes.

Global Harmonization Efforts

European AI standards are influencing global discussions. International organizations like ISO and IEEE are coordinating with European efforts to create globally recognized frameworks. While these harmonization efforts are ongoing, Europe’s standards are often setting the benchmark for future global regulation.