By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS Key European Union lawmakers agreed on Thursday changes to draft rules to rein in generative artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT and proposed a ban on facial surveillance, moving the EU closer to setting landmark rules for AI.

Following the deal by two European Parliament committees in charge of the issue, the plenary will now vote on the draft next month after which lawmakers will finalise details with EU countries and the European Commission.

Proposed by the EU executive two years, the AI Act aims to set the standard for AI before China and the United States while the increasing use of the technology has spawned fears of job losses, disinformation and copyright infringements.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee and Bart Meijer; Editing by Alison Williams and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)