With the introduction of the Data Act, the EU aims to regulate data access while adhering to high ethical standards for data protection and data security. The EU’s AI Act is intended to regulate artificial intelligence and establish a legal basis for its development and use.
The Data Act came into effect on January 12, 2024. Therefore, it is important for companies to act quickly.
The Data Act aims to create a fair and competitive data economy by ensuring that data can be accessed and used by all stakeholders in the value chain. This includes businesses, private users, and public authorities. The Act also promotes interoperability, which means that products and services from different manufacturers should be able to work together seamlessly. All these measures are designed to ensure that data is used in a way that respects privacy and security.
The AI Act aims to ensure that AI systems used in the EU are safe, transparent, traceable, non-discriminatory, and environmentally friendly. It classifies AI systems according to the risk they pose to users, with different risk levels implying more or less regulation. High-risk applications, such as those used in critical infrastructures, security authorities, and personnel management, are subject to stricter regulations, including requirements for human oversight, technical documentation, and a risk management system. The Act also prohibits AI systems that infringe on civil rights, manipulate human behavior, or restrict free will.
On November 27, 2023, the Council of the European Union adopted the Data Act. After the announcement, the Data Act came into effect on January 12, 2024, and after a basic transition period of 20 months, it will become directly applicable law throughout the EU from September 12, 2025. This means that companies need to take action now.
With the Data Act, the EU obliges the economy to share data. One way of secure and at the same time transparent data exchange is via so-called Data Spaces. There are already several projects and initiatives, such as Gaia-X, Catena-X, or the cross-sector data room Manufacturing-X.