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On 14 October, the EU telecommunications ministers held their first in-depth policy debate on the proposed Artificial Intelligence Act (AI-Act), to provide political guidance for further work on this proposal. The discussion, which can be followed here, focused on the Act’s regulatory design and the challenges involved in its effective implementation.

Ministers voiced their support for one comprehensive law on artificial intelligence, which should serve as a model across the globe. During the discussion, the societal and economic benefits that artificial intelligence can bring were stressed, whilst highlighting the need to protect privacy and ensure safety and security, in order to build the necessary trust in these new technologies.

Continuing to work towards establishing a horizontal and human-centric regulatory framework for AI, as proposed by the Commission, was advocated to ensure legal certainty and consistency for developers and users. Whilst addressing the risks and making sure that AI systems respect EU values, the new law must be future-proof and foster innovation. To achieve this, its provisions should be flexible enough to adapt to the fast-evolving technologies.

Delegations welcomed the risk-based approach of the proposal, but indicated that many issues require further discussion, in particular regarding the scope, law enforcement aspects and definitions of key terms. Clarity on these was considered essential for legal certainty and smooth implementation. Experimentation facilities were considered useful tools for smarter regulation and implementation, and the promotion of standardisation and availability of high-quality data was highlighted. A number of ministers mentioned the importance of effective enforcement and supervision, especially human oversight. The governance structure should be light, and the administrative and financial burden for operators, in particular SMEs and start-ups, should be kept to a minimum. Special support should be offered to SMEs to ensure that they can easily comply with the new rules.

Discussions on the proposal will continue in the Council’s telecommunications working party. The Slovenian Presidency of the Council aims to present a compromise proposal in November 2021.

Source: Council of the EU