*** Spain Digital Week ***
Digital humanism as the compass for the AI era.
At Spain Digital Week, organised by Adigital at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU, the EDPS @Secretary_General Leonardo Cervera-Navas delivered a speech on the role of the EDPS in a world increasingly governed by AI.
He described AI as an amplifier, of both the benefits of digitalisation and its risks, particularly where automated decisions affect people who do not know a machine is involved.
“AI amplifies the good brought forth by digitalization allowing for greater efficiency, improved access to services and new opportunities. But it also exacerbates the bad, raising considerable risks as automated decisions are susceptible of profoundly affecting the lives of individuals.” Leonardo Cervera-Navas noted.
He explained how the EDPS’s role has evolved: in addition to supervising EU institutions under the EUDPR, the EDPS is now a notified body and market surveillance authority under the AI Act. He presented two initiatives to strengthen coordination across the EU digital rulebook: the AI Act Correspondents Network and the proposed Digital Clearinghouse 2.0.
The Secretary General also stressed that reducing administrative burden and protecting fundamental rights are two different exercises, as the European Data Protection Board and EDPS warned in their joint opinion on the omnibus proposal.
“In a world where AI is becoming embedded in how we live and work, trust may become one of the most valuable qualities the EU digital infrastructure will have to offer. At the EDPS, we are working hard to build and protect that trust because we strongly believe that it is the key for a sustainable digital future.” Leonardo Cervera-Navas added.
