A ban lasting between three and five years could be on the way for Brussels to manage the risks the software poses, according to the leak of a white paper due to be published in February as part of a wider overhaul of AI regulation. (Euractiv)

Talking point: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pledged to present a new legislative approach on artificial intelligence within the first 100 days of her mandate, to ensure the technology is “trustworthy and human-centric.” If the white paper is published as is—and turned into law—it could derail AI projects underway in member states. Despite concerns the technology may be intrusive, Germany is hoping to roll out automatic facial recognition at 134 railway stations and 14 airports, and France is set to become the first EU country to allow its citizens to access government websites using the technology. Last week, the U.S. announced regulations for AI technology aimed at limiting overreach, and urged Europe to avoid “heavy-handed innovation-killing models.”