„Europe must develop artificial intelligence and digital technologies according to its own model, which combines competitiveness, technological progress and the protection of citizens' fundamental rights.“ This was stated by the Bulgarian MEP from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Kristian Vigenin, during debates in the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Vigenin commented on the agreement reached on the so-called AI Omnibus – the package to simplify the application of European rules on artificial intelligence, for which he is rapporteur on behalf of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.
“Artificial intelligence is one of the most powerful technologies of our time. It can stimulate innovation, make our economy more competitive and improve people's lives. But this can only happen if its development is based on clear rules and responsibility towards society“, Vigenin stressed.
According to him, thanks to the efforts of the Group of Socialists and Democrats, the simplification package has not led to a weakening of European standards for the protection of citizens: “We have managed to protect the main achievements of the Artificial Intelligence Act. We banned systems that create or manipulate intimate images without consent, we maintained the obligation for companies to invest in training and qualification of their employees and we did not allow the rules on transparency, supervision and protection of fundamental rights to be weakened under the pretext of simplification.“
According to him, Europe must choose a different path from the model of minimal regulation, which is often offered as an example from the USA. “We often hear that success requires less regulation. But today we also see growing concerns about the uncontrolled use of personal data and the lack of sufficient public control over these technologies. Europe chooses the more difficult but more sustainable path - for innovation to go hand in hand with the trust of citizens“, Vigenin pointed out.
The European Parliament is debating the European Commission's package on digital sovereignty and strategic digital infrastructure. It discussed how the EU can reduce its dependence on external technologies and platforms, while developing its own capacities in the fields of artificial intelligence, data centres, cloud services and semiconductors.
During the debate, Christian Vigenin stressed the need to build European digital sovereignty. “We cannot talk about strategic autonomy if we remain dependent on foreign digital platforms, cloud services and critical technologies. True digital sovereignty does not just mean more data centres or more chip factories. It means democratic control over digital infrastructure, protecting citizens' data and ensuring that public investments create public value, jobs and sustainability for Europe,“ he noted.
The balance between competitiveness, energy security and sustainable use of resources was at the heart of the discussion. Christian Vigenin warned that the digital transition must also be aligned with Europe's environmental challenges: “While Europe faces record heat waves, droughts and water shortages, we cannot build our technological sovereignty at the expense of climate goals, energy security or access to water resources. In some Member States, we are already seeing competition between the needs of citizens and large technological infrastructures.“
Christian Vigenin summarized that a sustainable European model must combine digital infrastructure, clean energy, quality jobs and climate policy. “Only in this way will we ensure that technologies work for the benefit of people, and not the other way around“, concluded the Bulgarian MEP.
For contact with the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the EP: https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/