AI Collaboration between US and EU, praised by Center for Data Innovation as a significant advancement in the field.
The White House and the European Commission have announced a joint agreement to further research on artificial intelligence (AI). This collaboration, focused solely on AI research, does not involve any specific technology or application beyond research and development.
The agreement comes at a time when the growing opportunities to use AI include improving healthcare, addressing climate change, and building more resilient electric grids. The joint agreement recognizes cooperation among allies as essential for competitiveness in AI.
Daniel Castro, the director of the Center for Data Innovation, an organization that focuses on data-related issues, has issued a statement in response to the joint agreement. He emphasized the importance of data-sharing partnerships as a priority for the Biden administration.
The United States and the European Union need more data to build successful AI models. However, both parties remain reluctant to allow their data to leave their borders, creating challenges for cross-border data flow in AI research.
In the European Union, the evolving regulatory landscape under the EU AI Act and its associated mechanisms, especially concerning general-purpose AI (GPAI) models, shapes the current status of the data-sharing framework. The General-Purpose AI (GPAI) Code of Practice, a voluntary compliance mechanism, was recently released by the European Commission. This Code provides practical guidance on transparency, copyright compliance, and systemic risk mitigation.
The AI Act introduces obligations for GPAI providers related to publishing summaries of training data, technical documentation, and cooperation with regulators, with significant fines for noncompliance. Models presenting systemic risk face stricter evaluations and reporting requirements. Key provisions of the AI Act related to general-purpose AI models, governance, and penalties will enter into force starting August 2, 2025.
The EU aims to establish a trustworthy AI framework that balances fundamental rights and innovation, proposing flexible rules to regulate AI risks effectively while facilitating data use under strict conditions. However, challenges for cross-border data flow between the US and EU in AI research remain substantial. There is a need to ensure compliance with stringent EU transparency and data governance standards, and reconciling different legal frameworks and standards between the US and EU requires ongoing dialogue and possibly new agreements or mechanisms.
The joint agreement between the White House and the European Commission does not specify the details of the potential data-sharing framework. However, to ensure maximum benefit from future datasets for training machine learning algorithms, both sides should work toward creating a data-sharing framework that allows data to flow across borders. Stronger transatlantic R&D partnerships are necessary to provide a counterweight to China's ambitions with AI technology.
References: [1] European Commission. (2025). AI Act. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12622-Artificial-intelligence-Act [2] European Commission. (2025). General-Purpose AI (GPAI) Code of Practice. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12711-General-Purpose-Artificial-Intelligence-GPAI-Code-of-Practice [3] European Commission. (2025). Trustworthy AI. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/data-protection/data-protection-reform/regulation-eu-2018-1725_en [4] European Commission. (2025). Data protection. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12563-General-Data-Protection-Regulation-GDPR
- The joint agreement between the White House and the European Commission underscores the importance of cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) research, recognizing it as a priority for competitiveness.
- The Center for Data Innovation, an organization that focuses on data-related issues, has emphasized data-sharing partnerships as a necessity for the Biden administration, as the US and EU require more data to build successful AI models.
- The evolving regulatory landscape in the European Union, under the EU AI Act and its associated mechanisms, particularly the General-Purpose AI (GPAI) Code of Practice, shapes the current status of the data-sharing framework.
- The EU aims to establish a trustworthy AI framework that balances fundamental rights and innovation, but challenges for cross-border data flow between the US and EU in AI research remain substantial.
- To ensure maximum benefit from future datasets for training machine learning algorithms, both the US and EU should work toward creating a data-sharing framework that allows data to flow across borders and facilitates stronger transatlantic R&D partnerships.
