Greetings from the Nordics,
It is time of the nightless nights here in the Nordics and we all are getting ready for summer holiday season — but not just yet.
The Nordic data protection authorities from Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Åland recently met for their annual Nordic meeting in Oslo, Norway. Several topics were discussed and the DPAs agreed to establish joint principles on children and online gaming that set out how developers should safeguard children's rights.
The importance of consistent enforcement of the EU's digital package was another topic of conversation. The DPAs would like to provide practical guidance on these issues if they are granted appropriate resources. They also said the Nordic governments should carefully consider the resource needs of DPAs when locally implementing the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and noted it is important to ensure existing national legislation enables responsible development, training and use of AI, especially when it involves processing personal data.
They also discussed the importance of issuing fines for public sector bodies, which does not currently happen in all Nordic countries and regions.
Speaking of AI, I was happy to participate in the IAPP AI Governance Global 2024 in Brussels this week. It was a great event with lots of enthusiastic people discussing and learning more about the new regulation and its implementation. Inspiring speakers and panels offered so much food for thought that I am still digesting everything.
Some takeaways:
- AI requirements look similar to those under the EU General Data Protection Regulation but are different. This is very true — there are many similarities, but AI is definitely more technical which means the landscape is constantly changing, and governance requires more skills and understanding on technical details. However, privacy programs have so much to offer for the AI implementation work.
- Accountability is very important with AI. One must know what they are doing and be able to explain it to anyone. Accountability means you live as you say, and being able to document that properly.
- Why do we feel safe when driving a car or when travelling by airplane? Because some decades ago society had demands and was mature enough to create rules in a democratic society. This is what's happening to AI today.
- If you do not have proper governance in place you don’t get value from technology.
I could go on and on. The AI Act is here, and it is a huge opportunity for organizations and individuals to do things differently. We cannot afford to miss the moment.
Let's continue discussion and sharing of good practices. It is our common obligation to make sure AI is safe enough for everyone and that businesses also benefit from the value of using technology.
Eija Warma-Lehtinen, CIPP/E, is IAPP country leader, Nordics, and partner, data protection and privacy at Castrén & Snellman.