- Legal uncertainty on data issues causes AI innovation bottleneck
- Sensible approach to European data retention: GAIA-X as a model
- Avoid blanket ex-ante regulations
The EU Commission has scheduled two groundbreaking digital policy papers to be launched on 19th February: the AI White Paper and the Data Strategy. In the opinion of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, this combination makes good sense: “A clear AI policy and a clear data policy are two sides of the same coin,” says eco Chair of the Board Oliver J. Süme. “Politics should set the legal framework for data availability and data processing and thus lay the foundation for a competition-friendly and innovation-compatible AI policy,” Süme continues. Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular are currently extremely reluctant to deal with and use AI technologies because of their fear of legal uncertainties. European and national legislators urgently need to create clarity here if Europe wants to have a chance to be at the forefront of the so-called second wave of digitalization.
eco considers the plan announced by EU Commissioner Thierry Breton as a good approach: namely, to not only facilitate easier data access, but also to regulate the processing and retention of data within Europe. “We support the conception of a high-performance, secure, and sovereign European data infrastructure, such as the one currently being fostered by the GAIA-X project initiated by the German federal government,” says Oliver J. Süme.
At the same time, eco warns against excessive and blanket ex-ante regulations for AI technologies. Overly complex regulatory provisions could prevent companies from implementing AI technologies in their business processes and thus stifle innovations.
Through the targeted use of artificial intelligence (AI), Germany can make a significant step towards catching up with international competition in one area of digitalization. For example, if AI is applied nationally across the board in Germany, a growth of over 13 percent in GDP can realistically be expected by 2025, which would correspond to a total potential of approximately 488 billion Euros. This is the finding of a joint study conducted by eco and Arthur D. Little, which was also supported by the Vodafone Institute for Society and Communication. On the strength of 150 use cases, it was also concluded that the predicted impact of AI will be felt in all sectors of the German economy. Retail & Consumer Goods, as well as the Energy, Environment & Chemical sectors are those that stand to benefit the most. However, in order to achieve this, a prerequisite is that politicians create the necessary framework conditions.
