The European Union has launched a dedicated AI Office to oversee the implementation of new regulations within its AI Act.
According to the announcement, the AI Office will enable the development, deployment and use of AI while simultaneously mitigating any risk.
It will also support research and innovation of “trustworthy AI”, with the aim of positioning the EU as the leader in international discussion, it said.
The office will be led by the “head of the AI Office” alongside the guidance of a lead scientific advisor and will be composed of five units: regulation and compliance, AI safety, AI and robotics, AI for societal good, and AI innovation and policy coordination.
Margrethe Vestager, EU competition chief, said the office will assist “coherent” implementation of the AI Act.
“Together with developers and a scientific community, the office will evaluate and test general purpose AI to ensure that AI serves us as humans and uphold our European values,” Vestager said.
The EU AI Act was provisionally agreed in December 2023, and approved by European Parliament in March 2024.
“As AI adoption continues across industries, it presents both benefits and concerns for businesses. However, if businesses follow best practice guidance and stay within the guardrails of the legislation, it can be adopted safely and ethically,” said Sridhar Iyengar, MD for cloud firm Zoho.
“While over half of boardroom leaders, according to our Tech and the Boardroom research, fear AI is the biggest direct threat to their organisation, this initiative directly addresses these fears as employees across various sectors are given the opportunity to adapt and thrive in an AI-driven world,” said Rachael Hays, transformation director for digital transformation consultancy Definia.
“The AI Office offers promising hope and guidance in developing economic benefits while mitigating risks associated with AI technology, something we should all get on board with.”