EU countries back landmark artificial intelligence rules

FILE PHOTO: AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters and robot hand miniature in this illustration taken, June 23, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union countries on Tuesday backed a political deal clinched in December last year that sets landmark rules on artificial intelligence used in a wide swathe of industries and in everyday life.

European Parliament lawmakers had already given their backing in March to an amended draft proposal by the European Commission.

The EU's AI Act will likely set the benchmark for other countries amid concerns about the technology's role in misinformation, fake news and use of copyrighted materials.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, editing by Tassilo Hummel)