Position on the Artificial Intelligence Act

November 2021

On April 21st, the European Commission presented its long-awaited draft Regulation on Artificial Intelligence (AI). France Digitale welcomes the EU’s ambition to promote European values through a more ethical AI, but draws the regulators’ attention on the risks posed to innovation in Europe. 

The new regulatory burden should not discourage AI founders and investors from engaging in Europe. The lack of clarity on the scope of the Regulation, the difficulty of implementing certain obligations, their expected impact on startups, especially those in high-risk sectors such as education, law and human resources, worry the ecosystem.

Accordingly, France Digitale calls on the European Parliament and the Council to:

1. Ensure that European AI startups stay internationally competitive
2. Clarify prohibited and high-risk practices
3. Define clearer and technically applicable obligations
4. Give civil society and startup organisations a voice in the EU’s AI Board
5. Designate national supervisory authorities with sufficient resources
6. Consult with stakeholders before any changes to obligations
7. Clarify the distribution of responsibilities throughout the value chain
8. Maintain and strengthen regulatory sandboxes for startups
9. Clarify the relationship between the AI Regulation and the GDPR