Decoding the EU AI Act in the context of ethics and fundamental rights

The growing perceived risk of AI to the foundational principles of societies and human rights has shaped a political debate on how to regulate the development and use of this technology. This debate has been taken seriously by key institutions in the European Union (EU), resulting in the much debated “AI Act”. The chosen course adopted by the EU is the product of two overarching questions: (1) what are the origins of the norms, principles and rights that influence the EU AI Act and determine the purpose of the legislation and (2) how does the EU AI Act fits into the larger landscape of different normative, but not legislated, frameworks articulated by international parties? This chapter explores these topics in an analysis of the EU AI Act, with a particular focus on its risk classification of different AI solutions and proposed mitigation and prevention measures.