EU ‘satisfied for now’ on AI regulation, says justice commissioner

Michael McGrath said the EU is trying to achieve a balance between ‘exploiting all of the enormous potential’ of AI with ensuring there are ‘appropriate guardrails’ in its development to ensure trust in the technology (Brian Lawless/PA)PA ArchiveCillian Sherlock3 minutes agoEurope is “satisfied for now” that it has appropriate regulation in place for artificial intelligence, the justice commissioner has said.

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Michael McGrath said the EU is trying to achieve a balance between “exploiting all of the enormous potential” of AI with ensuring there are “appropriate guardrails” in its development to ensure trust in the technology.

He was speaking at the Irish Government’s AI summit in Dublin on Wednesday, which came weeks after highly publicised incidents involving “rogue AI agents” which have broken into servers and also accessed private data on an Australian government website.

Mr McGrath, the European Commissioner for democracy, justice, the rule of law and consumer protection, told reporters that regulation of AI is on an implementation phase through the EU and national regulators.

“I think what is needed globally is for more coordination: What we want to see is proper global dialogue on the issue of AI, because the EU cannot deal with this on its own.

“AI doesn’t respect or stop at any international border, inside or outside of the European Union.”

Mr McGrath said the UN has “done good work in this space” but said the EU is open to further discussions with “like-minded partners” such as Canada, the UK and others.

“The truth is that everybody is still feeling their way through this – but at the same time, the technology is developing at an extraordinary pace, and we have to make sure that humans remain in control and that we do not allow the technology to outstrip our capability to control it and to regulate it, and I think that is the fundamental message.”

Mr McGrath he added: “We are satisfied for now. We have an appropriate system of regulation in place.

Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Niamh Smyth and Taoiseach Micheál Martin speak to the media during the Government’s International Artificial Intelligence Summit at the RDS in Dublin (Cillian Sherlock/PA)PA Wire“It is in the relatively early days and it is now about implementation and ensuring then that we see enforcement at an EU level, but also at a national level.”

Pressed on how the EU could be satisfied that regulatory guardrails are effective given emerging issues around AI this year, Mr McGrath said: “The truth is that this is a rapidly evolving situation.

“AI is developing so quickly; the technology is advancing, but we do have the regulatory guardrails in place.

“The focus now is on the implementation and the enforcement of them in Europe.

“Bear in mind, we cannot enforce law beyond the jurisdiction of the European Union.

“But in the European Union, I am satisfied that both at an EU level and also at a national level, that the appropriate tools and powers are now in place.”