Source: Trending Topics

Trending Topics reports that the European Parliament's Internal Market and Civil Liberties committees have voted in favor of a significant simplification package for the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA). This "omnibus" proposal aims to postpone the application deadlines for high-risk AI systems to ensure legal certainty as technical standards are still being finalized. Under the new proposal, systems in areas like biometrics and law enforcement would have until December 2027, while sector-specific products like medical devices would have until August 2028 to comply.

Beyond the delays, the committees have introduced a landmark ban on "nudifier" applications—AI systems that create non-consensual sexually explicit images of real individuals. The ban excludes systems with effective built-in safety mechanisms. Furthermore, the package offers increased flexibility for small mid-cap enterprises and streamlines requirements for products already covered by existing EU safety regulations to avoid double regulation. The plenary vote is scheduled for March 26, 2026, in Brussels, which will allow negotiations with the Council to commence shortly thereafter.