Latest Developments on AI in the EU: the Saga Continues
EU AI Act
Up until recently, political agreement on the final text of the EU Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AI Act) was expected on 6 December 2023. However, latest developments indicated roadblocks in the negotiations due to three key discussion points – please see our previous blog post here. EU officials are reported to be meeting twice this week to discuss a compromise mandate on EU governments’ position on the text, in preparation of the political meeting on 6 December. (more…)
EU Moving Closer to an AI Act?
On 24 October 2023, the European Parliament and Member States concluded a fourth round of trilogue discussions on the draft Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AI Act). Policymakers agreed on provisions to classify high-risk AI systems and also developed general guidance for the use of “enhanced” foundation models. However, the negotiations did not lead to substantial progress on provisions for prohibitions in relation to the use of AI by law enforcement. The next round of trilogue discussions will take place on 6 December 2023.
Third Time’s a Charm? Privacy Shield Agreement Reached In Principle
The U.S. President and European Commission President announced in a joint press statement on March 25th, 2022 that an agreement “in principle” has been reached on a new Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework (Privacy Shield Agreement 2.0). Once approved and implemented, the agreement would facilitate the transatlantic flow of personal data and provide an alternative data transfer mechanism (in addition to EU Standard Contractual Clauses and Binding Corporate Rules) for companies transferring personal data from the EU to the U.S. This is a welcome announcement for companies that have been dealing with the legal uncertainty of such data flows following the Schrems II decision in July 2020, which invalidated the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield 1.0 for international transfers of personal data.
