Thu, Mar 14th 2024
Switzerland’s federal authorities are closely monitoring the European Parliament’s recent approval of stringent AI laws, considering its implications for Swiss AI regulation strategies.
The federal authorities are monitoring European developments in the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). The European Parliament approved an AI law in Strasbourg on Wednesday. This provides for strict requirements for the use of AI in certain areas such as education and healthcare.
The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) is analyzing the impact of the EU’s AI law, as media spokeswoman Caroline Sauser told the Keystone-SDA news agency on request.
Last November, the Federal Council commissioned the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) to draw up an overview of possible regulatory approaches for AI.
The analysis should build on existing Swiss law and identify possible regulatory approaches that are compatible with the EU’s AI Regulation and the Council of Europe’s AI Convention. Both international regulations are relevant for Switzerland.
The Council of Europe is still busy drafting an AI convention. A corresponding committee is meeting this week, chaired by Swiss Bakom Deputy Director Thomas Schneider.
A draft could be adopted by Thursday, said Jaime Rodriguez, spokesman for the Council of Europe, on request. If the draft is approved, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers could formally adopt the convention this spring. It would then be submitted to the member states, but also to other states, for ratification.
For its part, OFCOM is to submit an analysis to the Federal Council by the end of 2024, it said in November. Based on this, the national government wanted to issue a specific mandate for an AI regulation bill in 2025.
©Keystone/SDA
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