BRUSSELS – December 17, 2020 – As the EU prepares upcoming legislation on artificial intelligence, BSA | The Software Alliance today released a set of recommendations to foster innovation, create opportunities, and enhance growth in Europe through responsible AI.

Software-driven AI is already leading to improvements in healthcare, accessibility tools, cybersecurity, business productivity, and competitiveness, impacting every sector.

“AI has the potential to generate substantial economic growth in Europe, improve government services across Member States, and address some of today’s most pressing societal challenges,” said Matteo Quattrocchi, Senior Manager, Policy – EMEA at BSA. “To maximize these benefits, AI systems must be developed responsibly, operate as intended, and be deployed in ways that build public trust in them. BSA supports a flexible EU policy framework that encourages responsible, fit-for-purpose AI practices.”

To capitalize on the benefits of AI and play a leading role in developing responsible AI policy, EU legislators should:

• Adopt an Evidence-Based Approach: An in-depth study of how the already strong and effective body of EU law applies to AI should be carried out before considering new legislation.
• Develop a Risk-Based Framework: Europe should build a two-tiered risk-based approach to AI that is sector and case specific.
• Balance the Allocation of Responsibility: Policymakers should ensure that responsibility for risks is assigned to the actor best placed to identify and mitigate potential harms before they arise. To that end, the controller/processor distinction in GDPR could be adapted to AI deployers and AI developers.

To view BSA’s full set of recommendations on AI for Europe, visit: https://www.bsa.org/policy-filings/ai-for-europe