More than 100 companies have signed up to the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) pact and its voluntary pledges.
The pact supports voluntary commitments to start applying the principles of the AI Act ahead of its entry into application and enhances engagement between the EU AI Office and industry, civil society and academia.
The Act, which came into force on August 1, will be fully applicable in two years.
The pact calls on participating companies to commit to at least three core actions:
- AI governance strategy to foster the uptake of AI in the organisation and work towards future compliance with the AI Act
- High-risk AI systems mapping which identifies AI systems likely to be categorised as high-risk under the AI Act
- Promoting AI literacy and awareness among staff, ensuring ethical and responsible AI development
In addition to these core commitments, more than half of signatories have committed to additional pledges, including ensuring human oversight, mitigating risks, and transparently labelling certain types of AI-generated content, such as deepfakes.
Companies are welcome to join the AI Pact and commit to the core and the additional pledges at any moment until the AI Act fully applies.
Alongside the efforts to help companies implement the AI Act in anticipation of the legal deadline, the European Commission is taking action to boost EU innovation in AI. The AI Factories initiative of 10th September 2024 will provide start-ups and industry with a one-stop-shop to innovate and develop AI, including data, talent and computing power.
The AI Factories will also propel the development and validation of AI industrial and scientific applications in key European sectors such as energy, healthcare, automotive and transport, defence and aerospace, robotics and manufacturing, clean and agritech.
One of the most common uses for AI by the energy sector has been to improve predictions of supply and demand. Developing a greater understanding of both, when renewable power is available and when it is needed, is crucial for next-generation power systems. Another key area is predictive maintenance.
AI already serves more than 50 different uses in the energy system, and the market for the technology in the sector could be worth up to $13bn.
Read more on technology in the November issue of gasworld global
