6 prohibited practices with artificial intelligence that you must avoid
Imagine a future where the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is strictly regulated to protect your rights. Recently, the government approved a draft bill imposing very strict rules on the use of AI, with penalties that can reach up to 35 million euros.
This text not only affects large companies but also conditions the use that any individual can make of AI. Below, we will see which practices are completely prohibited to ensure more ethical and safe technology.
Key prohibitions of the new artificial intelligence law
Prohibitions related to user vulnerability
The regulation focuses on protecting the most fragile groups. For example, it is forbidden to use AI to:
- Apply subliminal techniques that manipulate decisions without the user knowing.
- Exploit vulnerabilities such as age, disability, or socioeconomic status.
- Detect problem gamblers to target them with gambling-related ads, a practice considered abusive.
Prohibitions in biometric use and classification
Some practices affecting privacy and the dignity of people are also excluded:
- Biometric classifications using data such as fingerprints or facial recognition without strict guarantees.
- Assess people based on history or online behavior in areas like health or employment.
- Recognize emotions or facial traits without ensuring security and privacy.
Specific innovations included at the request of the Spanish Government
Deepfakes and child pornography generated by AI
The government has pushed two new key prohibitions that strengthen the protection of minors and dignity:
- Express prohibition of creating deepfakes with sexual content that involve identity impersonation.
- Total ban on the production of child pornography using artificial intelligence tools.
Predictive surveillance and real-time identification
The use of technologies that could unjustly violate citizens' freedom is also excluded, such as:
- Predictive surveillance based on analyzing digital behavior to estimate risks.
- Real-time biometric identification through videos or audios, which can constitute massive privacy invasion.
The government’s commitment to ethical and human-centered AI
Vision aligned with Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical
Shortly after the approval of the text, the Pope issued a strong message against opaque and dehumanized use of AI. The Spanish government fully agrees with this view, which advocates for AI that protects rights and social values.
Practical measures to ensure compliance
Besides prohibiting practices, the government establishes mechanisms for companies to certify that their models comply with the law and creates the figure of the "artificial intelligence delegate" within the public administration to ensure transparency and ethics in use.
| Prohibited practice | Description |
|---|---|
| Subliminal techniques | Hidden manipulation of users’ decisions |
| Exploiting vulnerabilities | Directed at minors, disabled persons, or vulnerable groups |
| Biometric classification | Use of personal biometric data without guarantees |
| Predictive surveillance | Risk estimation based on digital data |
| Sexual deepfakes | Creation of identity impersonations with sexual content |
| Generated child pornography | Production prohibited to protect minors |
With these measures, the law aims to curb practices that could generate abuses and discrimination through AI, emphasizing the protection of privacy and human dignity.
