Elizabeth A. Seger

The EU AI Act hasn’t ever existed, it doesn’t exist right now and it won’t exist for a while, so surely whatever the issues in the EU AI innovation area it isn’t due to the AI Act? The Act actually aims to support companies, especially EU SMEs. Its proposed tiered approach for general-purpose AI intends to minimize the burden on SMEs by seeking to facilitate information sharing and safety guarantees from larger entities. It tries to come up with various thresholds to explicitly exclude smaller players from most obligations. This overall approach seems highly innovation-friendly, tailored to aid smaller players. Why are some explicitly opposed to it? Do they not want to support SMEs and increase AI uptake through ensuring a higher level of quality and trust? In addition, look at Article 55 in the Act aiming to provide support for SMEs and startups. Specific measures include granting priority access for SMEs and EU-based startups to regulatory sandboxes if eligibility criteria are met. Additionally, tailored awareness raising and digital skills development activities will be organised to address the needs of smaller organisations. Moreover, dedicated communication channels will be set up to offer guidance and respond to queries from SMEs and startups. Participation of SMEs and other stakeholders in the standards development process will also be encouraged. To reduce the financial burden of compliance, conformity assessment fees will be lowered for SMEs and startups based on factors like development stage, size, and market demand. The Commission will regularly review certification and compliance costs for SMEs/startups (with input from transparent consultations) and work with Member States to reduce these costs where possible.