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Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: EU AI Act now has a section on general purpose AI systems, published by MathiasKB on December 9, 2021 on The Effective Altruism Forum. The EU AI Act is currently undergoing the ordinary legislative procedure, in which the European Parliament and Council can propose changes to the act.A brief summary of the act is that systems defined as high-risk will be required to undergo conformity assessments, which among other things requires the system to be monitored and have a working off-switch (longer summary and analysis here).The Council's amendments have recently been circulated. Most importantly for longtermists, they include a new section for general purpose AI systems. For the first time ever regulating general AI is on the table, and for an important government as well!The article reads: Article 52a - General purpose AI systems The placing on the market, putting into service or use of general purpose AI systems shall not, by themselves only, make those systems subject to the provisions of this Regulation. Any person who places on the market or puts into service under its own name or trademark or uses a general purpose AI system made available on the market or put into service for an intended purpose that makes it subject to the provisions of this Regulation shall be considered the provider of the AI system subject to the provisions of this Regulation. Paragraph 2 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to any person who integrates a general purpose AI system made available on the market, with or without modifying it, into an AI system whose intended purpose makes it subject to the provisions of this Regulation. The provisions of this Article shall apply irrespective of whether the general purpose AI system is open source software or not. Or in plain English, General Purpose AI Systems will not be considered high-risk, unless they are explicitly intended to be used for a high-risk purpose.What are your reactions to this development? Thanks for listening. To help us out with The Nonlinear Library or to learn more, please visit nonlinear.org.