Preparing for the European AI Act: Urgent Compliance Call

Preparing for the European AI Act: Urgent Compliance Call

As the conclusion of the negotiations for the AI Act nears, businesses are facing a crucial compliance challenge. Master's student Jacintha Walters from Hogeschool van Amsterdam has conducted an illuminating study shedding light on the current state of readiness.

Key Research Insights

Jacintha Walters' research focused on assessing the level of preparedness of fifteen diverse Dutch companies – both large and small – in light of the impending European AI Act. The findings are quite revealing. The findings underscore several critical gaps:

1. Addressing Bias: Inadequate attention to bias in data collection and AI models is evident.
2. Documentation Standards: Many companies lack comprehensive documentation guidelines.

Crucial Insights

Companies underwent an evaluation through ninety survey questions, scoring an average of 58%. This emphasizes the room for improvement and highlights the urgency for businesses to elevate their readiness.

Another striking finding was that most companies claimed they had no dataset risks over the past two years. This seems unlikely, since every dataset carries risks. This points out the need for enhanced risk management training. On a more positive note, the surveyed companies show dedication to keeping AI models up-to-date.

Anticipating Impact

The impact of the AI Act will be as substantial for businesses as the impact of GDPR, according to Walters. Partly because many businesses unknowingly use AI. In contrast to GDPR's (sometimes) retroactive privacy measures, the AI Act necessitates robust risk analyses for rights and discrimination. New methodologies are therefore essential, making compliance more complex.

Despite uncertainties, preparation remains essential due to the far-reaching consequences of the legislation. We will closely monitor developments regarding the data regulation. Would you like to know more about the proposal? Please feel free to contact us.

Learn More

For an in-depth look at Jacintha Walters' research, access the full study here.