“Citizens need stronger protection of their personal information, not new privileges for companies that seek to gain unlimited access to it“, said MEP Christian Vigenin during a plenary debate in Strasbourg on “Strengthening the global governance of Artificial Intelligence“.
As rapporteur for the Socialists and Democrats Group on the “Omnibus on Artificial Intelligence“, Christian Vigenin stressed that simplifying the rules should not turn into deregulation. The new rules should not be used as a means to circumvent guarantees of privacy and data protection. “We cannot allow those who profit from AI to set the rules by which they operate.“
Polish MEP Arkadiusz Mularczyk used the “blue card” procedure to ask Vigenin about Europe's lagging behind the US and China and the risk that strict regulations could hinder investment. In response, Vigenin pointed out that regulation does not hinder the development of AI. He gave the example of the US, where, in his opinion, the lack of regulations and the way data centres are built create problems for the population and lead to a loss of public support. “Yes, we were not the first and we are not number one at the moment, but we have created a very comprehensive and good regulatory framework. Now is the time to put it into practice,” said Vigenin.
The MEP stressed that Europe must defend its legislation and ensure its effective implementation. This also requires working together with its international partners to establish common standards. “Global governance of artificial intelligence must start with respecting the rights of our own citizens. And on this issue, Europe cannot afford to back down.“
In conclusion, Vigenin expressed confidence that Europe will catch up: “And I can promise you that you will see how Europe will catch up, and the others will start to follow our example, and not the other way around.“
To contact the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the EP: https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/