On April 25th the European Commission published an official communication “Artificial Intelligence for Europe {SWD(2018) 137 final}” in which it stressed the importance of having a coordinated approach to AI in order to take full advantage of the benefits that it can bring to EU member states and to society in general.

In fact, in early April 24 Member States and Norway committed to working together to ensure that the EU is competitive in terms of AI and that no EU citizen is left behind in the digital transformation of work and education, research, the economy.  They have announced that a coordinated plan for AI will be developed by the end of 2018 within the already-existing digitalisation initiatives.  Furthermore, in the coming weeks the Commission should issue a Communication touching on future research and innovation and connected mobility in Europe of which AI will be a key part.

Importantly, the Commission stressed that “New technologies are based on values” and that the GDPR, coming fully into force in just a couple of short weeks, represents “a major step for building trust, essential in the long term for both people and companies. This is where the EU’s sustainable approach to technologies creates a competitive edge, by embracing change on the basis of the Union’s values. As with any transformative technology, some AI applications may raise new ethical and legal questions, for example related to liability or potentially biased decision-making. The EU must therefore ensure that AI is developed and applied in an appropriate framework which promotes innovation and respects the Union’s values and fundamental rights as well as ethical principles such as accountability and transparency. The EU is also well placed to lead this debate on the global stage.”