EU AI Suggestions Flawed by Emphasizing Ethics Over GDPR Reform Possibilities
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) High Level Expert Group has recently released a report offering policy and investment recommendations for the development and dissemination of AI. The report emphasizes the importance of creating "trustworthy AI," a term that encapsulates AI systems that are reliable, robust, and respectful of user rights, privacy, and values.
The report advises policymakers to avoid unnecessarily prescriptive regulation and cumulative regulatory interventions at the sectoral level. Instead, it suggests a focus on strategies such as talent retention and mobility, identification of key sectors for applied AI research, regulatory sandboxes, better transfer of research results to the market, integration of existing research networks, and increased availability of large data sets.
One of the key recommendations is a mandatory obligation for some AI systems developed by the private sector to undergo a trustworthy AI assessment. However, the report also acknowledges that many companies already have their own AI assessments and regularly report on their progress. It is suggested that companies should be able to develop their own assessments, standards, or codes of practice voluntarily.
The report does not objectively evaluate the negative impact of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ePrivacy Directive on the development and use of AI systems. However, it does suggest that without reforming the GDPR, the EU may struggle to compete globally on AI.
The report does not mention any significant market for AI systems marketed as ethical-by-design. Similarly, it is stated that Europe does not have a unique ability to produce more ethical AI systems. Nevertheless, the report suggests that the Commission should consider liability protection for participating companies in voluntary impact assessments, such as through the presumption of no ill-intent.
It is worth noting that the group responsible for creating this report and proposing these recommendations is not explicitly named in the provided search results.
The report does not recommend issuing new regulation before examining existing EU laws relevant to AI, including the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive, which remain the standard of reference according to the report. It is also stated that there is little empirical evidence that AI systems made outside Europe would be untrustworthy.
In conclusion, the AI High Level Expert Group's report provides a comprehensive set of recommendations for promoting the development and use of trustworthy AI in the European Union. While the report does not propose significant regulatory changes, it emphasizes the need for strategic investments in talent, research, and data to ensure the EU remains competitive in the global AI landscape.
