Artificial intelligence and the risk of automation: the solutions adopted by the European Union

Abstract

The essay addressed the potential unpredictability of algorithmic decision-making. The current legislation in the European Union stems from Directive 374/85/EC on product liability, designed for "inanimate" products that do not possess the characteristics of current intelligent products. The need to regulate the new technological frontiers associated with the development of artificial intelligence has been recognized, and the European Union has intervened with a series of acts, including the General Regulation on Artificial Intelligence and a new Product Liability Directive. The aim of the essay was to identify, in particular, the rules introduced to avoid the risks associated with automation and the regulatory solutions to prevent the uncontrollability of algorithmic decision-making.