Pandemic forces EU to rethink new AI strategy

The EU has been forced to rethink its new digital strategy, which includes measures to boost its data independence and significantly alter the way European AI algorithms are trained. Unveiled in February, the stringent set of rules for the development and use of AI products is designed to ensure the nascent technology is used responsibly. The new rules introduce stipulations around data quality and also demand AI algorithms developed in the EU are trained using European data, which could prove prohibitive. The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has emphasised the critical importance of agility and collaboration across continents, which the EU's proposed measures (if unchanged) will render extremely difficult, steeping the process in bureaucracy. The 12-week consultation on the new digital strategy - which will determine its final form - is set to take place at the end of May, but will now likely be postponed.