On 9 November, the Rapporteur Axel Voss, officially presented the Draft Report on artificial intelligence in a digital age (Report) to the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age (AIDA) of the European Parliament. The objective of the Report is to provide a comprehensive AI Roadmap to ensure a competitive market position for the EU AI market. In doing so, a harmonised digital framework focusing on high-risk AI applications is proposed while promoting innovation, technology adoption, and data accessibility.


1. Overview

The report is following a pragmatic approach on Artificial Intelligence (AI) focusing the discussion not on abstract risks of the technology but on concrete AI applications that present risks and ensuring that a balance can be stricken between setting effective regulatory safeguards and the benefits of the technology.

In this regard the report is analyzing 6 (six) case studies

  • Health
  • Competitiveness
  • Green Deal
  • The future of democracy
  • External policy and security
  • The labour market


Following a brief benchmarking analysis of EU’s position in the global AI competition the Report outlines the “Europe fit for the digital age - Roadmap for becoming a global leader”, which is based on 7 (seven) pillars:

 

Objectives 

                       

Steps

Favourable regulatory environment    

 

    

 

  • Law Making: harmonisation through regulations for digital laws
  • Governance and Enforcement: establishing a EU AI Board
  • Legal Framework for AI: realistic, human-centred, value-oriented regulation of high-risk AI and self-regulation for low-risk AI, clear, uniform and international definition of AI
  • EU Data Challenge: creating a single EU data space

Completing the digital single market

  

 

  • National AI Strategies: aligning national policies with the ‘coordinated plan on AI’
  • Market Barriers: remove market barriers and minimise derogations
  • Level Playing Field: reforming current national and EU competition and antitrust framework

Digital Green Infrastructure

  

 

  • Connectivity and Computing Power: 5G roll-out in all urban areas and adoption of cloud computing services, big data and AI by 75% of EU enterprises by 2030
  • Sustainability: Green digital infrastructure climate neutral and energy efficient by 2030

Ecosystem of excellence

  

 

  • Talent: Creating an AI competence framework
  • Research: increased investment in AI, robotics, quantum computing, DLT, IoT, nanotechnology and 3D printing

Ecosystem of trust

  

 

  • Society and AI: AI awareness raising campaigns
  • eGovernance: MS to deliver on the Tallinn Declaration on eGovernment
  • eHealth: human-centred, evidence-based, patient-oriented and high-quality digital healthcare

Industrial strategy

  

 

  • Strategic Planning and Investments: AI-focused digital industrial strategy
  • SMEs and Startups: government support throughout the startup lifecycle
  • International Stage: international core value-based technology alliance

Security and military deterrence

 

 

 

  • AI and Law Enforcement: algorithms for crime prevention and investigation
  • Cybersecurity: higher levels of harmonisation
  • Cyber Defence: advancing on EU cyber diplomacy
  • Military Use of AI: exempting exclusive military and national security AI uses from civilian AI legislation

 

2. Conclusion & Next Steps

Overall, the Report urges the EU to act and swiftly put in place a favourable regulatory framework for AI able to provide for effective governance, balanced ethical standards, a leeway for innovation while avoiding overregulation.

The Report will be voted on in committee in March 2022 and in plenary in May 2022 and it is expected to shape the negotiations for the Proposal for harmonised rules on Artificial Intelligence (AI Act).

At VdA, our team of experts is delivering strategic and sophisticated legal advice to help our clients prepare for the challenges on the new EU regulatory framework for AI-systems and to help them built a robust and futureproof AI Governance.