Navigating regulatory complexities: Enforcing data protection in the field of AI

Panel
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Organising Institution

EDPS

Belgium

The European Data Protection Supervisor is an independent supervisory authority, with responsibility for monitoring the processing of personal data by the EU institutions and bodies, advising on policies and legislation that affect privacy and cooperating with similar authorities at national level. The EDPS remit includes: • developing and communicating an overall vision, thinking in global terms and proposing concrete recommendations; • providing policy guidance to meet new challenges in the area of data protection; • operating at the highest levels and developing effective relationships with diverse stakeholders in other EU institutions, Member States, non EU countries and other national or international organisations. Under the AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689), the European Data Protection Supervisor is now the Market surveillance authority for EUIs’ AI systems and a notified body for high-risk AI assessments

Business 3
Policy 3

As AI systems are being deployed, public and private entities are being confronted with the challenging task of complying with different - sometimes competing- legal frameworks. AI systems must be assessed from their multiple impacts on the rights and freedoms of individuals and comply with the respective laws put into place. One of the most debated examples is the impact the use of AI systems has on the right to non-discrimination. However, in order to achieve this normative goal, several well-established legislations, such as data protection, non-discrimination laws or the AI Act, play a role in reducing such impact, each of them contributing to a piece of the puzzle. For Data Protection Authorities, this brings a new level of complexity. Data protection should now be interpreted and implemented in the light of a multifaceted regulatory framework. From a regulatory perspective, this pushes regulators to build bridges between different experience in implementing these laws. This panel will delve into the challenges of supervision of this complex regulatory environment.

Questions to be answered

How do national data protection regulators apply data protection legislation to AI systems that impact other fundamental rights such as non-discrimination?
Are there appropriate regulatory tools in place to ensure efficient enforcement cooperation between the different regulatory bodies?
How can Equality bodies and data protection authorities mutually benefit from their respective expertise and experience?