At the G7 Privacy, that concluded in Rome last Friday, Key4biz – with its editor-in-chief Luigi Garofalo – interviewed Wojciech Wiewiórowski, the European Data Protection Supervisor.
Key4biz. We are leaving the Privacy in the data era, and we are also in AI era. What is the European Data Protection Supervisor’s role to balance the use of AI with people’s rights and freedoms?
Wojciech Wiewiórowski. European Data Protection Supervisor, apart from being supervisor of the EU institutions as far as data protection is concerned, is the main advisor in the legislative process in the EU. So, our role is mainly to represent those whose privacy shall be observed during all works on any kind of law that is prepared by the EU, and also then in the implementation of it.
Key4biz. What is your opinion about the AI Act?
Wojciech Wiewiórowski. I had quite a lot of doubts at the beginning about the AI Act. I couldn’t understand what the real role of this Act was. But I have to say that both the proposal of the Commission and then the works in the Council and in the Parliament show that there is an idea how to deal with it. Idea which is not taking it from the fundamental rights point of view, but mainly from the product safety and service safety perspective, which is, I think, the good approach to something which should work on the market and should give its pluses, because AI is definitely one of the opportunities for our society.
Key4biz. And what is EDPS’ role according to the AI Act?
Wojciech Wiewiórowski. First of all, the European Data Protection Supervisor is supervising the EU institutions as far as the use of AI is concerned. So, of course, they are not producing AI solutions that are then sold on the market, but they are deploying them. They are also using them for the work of the EU institutions. So, our role will mainly be the supervisory role, but rather as a market surveillance authority than as a data protection authority. At the same time, we still keep our role of the Data Protection Supervisor.
Key4biz. Lastly, in your opinion, with whom should there be a collaboration and discussion to have a safe, trustworthy and ethical AI?
Wojciech Wiewiórowski. It has to be very, very broad, because we have to remember that there isn’t only one industry dealing with AI. And now, actually, all the information systems in some way use AI. So, we have to think about each of the IT solutions as the possible seat for the AI solutions. So, we need to cooperate not only with the scientists, not only with the industry, but also with those in whose markets, in whose works the AI and the results of its work will be used.