Brussels my love? Get ready, get set for a major year of elections around the world
Summary
TLDRThe discussion in the transcript revolves around the challenges and prospects of the year 2024, with a particular focus on the European Union. Key topics include the upcoming elections across the globe, the recently negotiated AI Act in the EU, and its potential impact on businesses and AI development. Panelists share their views on the importance of increasing public participation in elections, the need for a more concrete and positive vision for Europe, and the role of AI in shaping the future. The conversation also touches on the potential influence of the US elections on Europe and the world, highlighting the complex and multifaceted nature of current geopolitical dynamics.
Takeaways
- 🎉 The year 2024 has begun with challenges similar to those of 2023, but with notable differences such as global elections and new regulations on AI.
- 🗳️ Elections are a key focus for 2024, with two billion voters worldwide, including 400 million Europeans, set to vote in various polls, including the European Parliament election.
- 🤖 The EU has recently negotiated the AI Act, the world's first comprehensive regulatory framework for artificial intelligence, set to come into effect in two years.
- 🌐 The AI Act classifies risks associated with AI and prohibits certain high-risk applications, such as social credit scoring and real-time biometric identification in public places.
- 📈 The Act aims to balance innovation with risk management, ensuring that AI can be used responsibly while fostering technological advancement.
- 🌟 European citizens express a desire for more happiness, better jobs, and peace in the world, indicating a need for policies that address well-being and quality of life.
- 🚀 Despite concerns about AI regulation, there is optimism that the EU's approach could become a global model for balancing innovation with ethical considerations.
- 📊 The EU's focus on mental health and well-being is highlighted as a priority, with calls for more support and resources in these areas.
- 🌍 The geopolitical landscape continues to evolve, with implications from elections in the US potentially impacting Europe and the world significantly.
- 🔍 The EU's efforts to increase voter turnout and engagement are emphasized, with strategies such as town halls and addressing local concerns.
- 🤔 The panelists share their personal goals for 2024, ranging from professional ambitions to personal milestones, reflecting a diverse and optimistic outlook.
Q & A
What are some of the major global elections taking place in 2024?
-In 2024, significant elections are happening across various countries including India, Russia, South Africa, the United States, and the European Parliament elections in Europe.
What is the AI Act and when is it expected to come into force?
-The AI Act is a set of rules developed by the European Union to regulate high-risk AI models and systems. It is expected to come into force in two years after the deal was clinched in December.
What are some applications of AI that the AI Act considers too risky to be placed on the market?
-The AI Act prohibits applications such as social credit scoring, certain forms of predictive policing, and using real-time biometric data to identify people in public places, as they are considered too risky.
How does the AI Act categorize AI applications?
-The AI Act categorizes AI applications based on a classification of risks, identifying which applications are too risky to be placed on the market and those that are considered high-risk but can be regulated.
What is the general sentiment towards the AI Act among the panelists?
-The panelists have mixed views on the AI Act. Some see it as a necessary framework to regulate risky AI applications, while others express concerns about the potential impact on innovation and the competitiveness of European companies.
What are some of the challenges the European Union faces in terms of AI development and adoption?
-The European Union faces challenges such as a lower adoption rate of AI compared to the US and China, a lack of sufficient venture capital, and the need for a more risk-tolerant business environment to foster innovation.
What is the 'Brussels effect' mentioned by one of the panelists?
-The 'Brussels effect' refers to the global influence of EU regulations, where the standards and rules set by the EU often become a benchmark or a model for other countries to follow.
What are some of the expectations and wishes for Europe in 2024 according to the panelists?
-The panelists wish for Europe to focus more on the well-being of its citizens, find a development model and vision for the future, and rebuild its identity with an emphasis on people, planet, and prosperity.
How does the AI Act aim to protect against the misuse of AI in sensitive areas?
-The AI Act aims to protect against misuse by prohibiting certain high-risk AI applications, such as those involving social credit scoring and real-time biometric data in public places, and by regulating other high-risk uses to ensure they are used responsibly.
What are the concerns regarding the impact of the AI Act on smaller companies?
-There are concerns that the AI Act and the upcoming tsunami of regulations might be too challenging for smaller companies to implement, potentially hindering innovation and growth among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
How does the panelist, Laura Shields, feel about AI and its role in her work?
-Laura Shields finds AI helpful in her work, particularly for tasks like generating fake EU regulations for training exercises. However, she expresses discomfort with the AI's tendency to produce false information with confidence.
Outlines
🎉 Welcome to 2024: A Year of Elections and AI Regulation
The video script opens with a warm welcome to the year 2024 and sets the stage for a year marked by significant global elections and the implementation of the AI Act, the first of its kind. The discussion revolves around the challenges carried over from 2023, the impact of the AI Act on companies developing AI, and the importance of the European Parliament elections. The panel, consisting of notable figures from various sectors, shares their perspectives on the state of democracy, the role of AI in society, and their hopes for a more hopeful and optimistic future.
🗳️ Voter Turnout and Trust in European Institutions
This paragraph delves into the intricacies of voter turnout across different European countries and the factors influencing voter motivation. It highlights the disparity in turnout rates between countries like Belgium, where voting is compulsory, and Croatia, where turnout was notably low. The conversation touches on the disconnect between EU institutions and citizens, the influence of past scandals, and the role of national issues in shaping voting behavior. The panelists emphasize the need for European parties to offer concrete, positive solutions and the importance of communication strategies that resonate with voters.
🌿 The Greens and the Left: Facing Challenges in the European Landscape
The paragraph focuses on the challenges faced by the Greens and the Left in Europe, as they struggle to maintain momentum in the political landscape. The discussion includes the need for these groups to connect the cost of living crisis with the green agenda, emphasizing energy security and long-term benefits. The panelists also touch on the cyclical nature of political support and the potential for a resurgence of the Greens in the future. The conversation further explores the relationship between traditional parties and the emergence of new dynamics within the European Parliament.
📊 Elections, AI, and the Future of European Democracy
This section of the script discusses the impact of upcoming elections on the European political scene, including the potential shifts in power dynamics within the European Parliament. The conversation includes speculations on election outcomes and the influence of external factors such as the US elections on Europe. The panelists also address the importance of adapting to new technologies and the role of AI regulation in safeguarding democratic values. The discussion highlights the need for a strong European response to global challenges and the pursuit of a more inclusive and effective European Union.
🤖 Regulating AI: Balancing Innovation and Risk Management
The paragraph explores the EU's approach to AI regulation through the AI Act, focusing on the classification of risks and the prohibition of certain high-risk AI applications. The panelists discuss the challenges of regulating a rapidly evolving technology like AI and the importance of striking a balance between innovation and risk management. The conversation includes insights from representatives of major tech companies and the concerns of smaller businesses regarding the implementation of the AI Act. The panelists emphasize the need for an ecosystem of trust and excellence in the European AI landscape.
🌟 Personal Goals and Wishes for Europe in 2024
In this final paragraph, the panelists share their personal goals and aspirations for the year 2024, as well as their wishes for Europe. Topics range from personal career milestones to the desire for a more peaceful and prosperous world. The discussion highlights the importance of well-being, mental health, and the need for a more compassionate approach to politics. The panelists express their hopes for a Europe that prioritizes the well-being of its citizens and finds a renewed sense of identity and purpose.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Elections
💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)
💡Democracy
💡European Union (EU)
💡Voter Turnout
💡Deep Fakes
💡Green Agenda
💡Transparency
💡Digital Identity
💡Well-being
Highlights
Happy belated New Year 2024 has arrived, bringing with it the same challenges of 2023.
Bumper elections worldwide, including 400 million European voters, will have their say on the new European Parliament.
EU negotiators have clinched a deal on artificial intelligence known as the AI Act, the first of its kind globally.
The AI Act will come into force in two years, potentially serving as the playbook for the 21st century.
The panel discussion includes key figures such as Di dson, Secretary General of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Laura Shields, and Andrea Renda.
The countdown to the elections has begun, with about 150 days left to convince voters.
The importance of voter turnout is emphasized, with strategies to engage and listen to the electorate.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the cost of living crisis on people's lives is acknowledged.
The European Parliament elections are seen as a critical point, with all eyes on the 6th to 9th June.
The EU's communication strategy involves organizing Town Halls across Europe to engage with voters.
The issue of trust between Brussels, EU institutions, and citizens is discussed, with the Qatar gate scandal mentioned.
Deep fakes and their potential impact on the election campaign are a concern and a reality that has been experienced.
Predictions for the European Parliament's composition post-elections are made, with conservatives and socialists leading.
The challenge for the Greens and the Left is to regain momentum and link the cost of living crisis to the green agenda.
The Socialists and the European People's Party are not getting along as well as they used to, reflecting a broader divisiveness.
The impact of the US elections on Europe is anticipated, with potential major implications for NATO and Ukraine.
The AI Act focuses on regulating uses and applications of AI, with a list of prohibited AI applications.
The EU's approach to AI regulation is seen as a balance between over-regulation and under-regulation.
The AI Act aims to build a classification of risks and identify applications that are too risky to be placed on the market.
The EU's AI regulations are expected to influence global standards, but challenges in venture capital and talent retention are noted.
The need for an ecosystem of excellence in the EU, including investment and support for startups, is emphasized.
The panel shares personal plans for 2024, focusing on innovation, influence, and the well-being of people.
The importance of peace, better jobs, and health are highlighted as common wishes for the year.
Transcripts
[Music]
hello there and welcome to Brussels my
love yur news's weekly chat show that
looks at all the news Brewing here in
Brussels I'm mave McMahan thanks for
tuning in coming up this week happy
belated New Year 2024 has arrived and
with it the same challenges of of
2023 but what makes this year different
bumper elections all across the globe
from India to Russia South Africa to the
US two billion voters will be heading to
the polls including here in Europe when
400 million of us will have our say on
the new faces making up the European
Parliament and after Marathon talks EU
negotiators clinched a deal on
artificial intelligence recently known
as the AI act it would become the first
ever ruled book in the world and would
come into force in two years we take a
closer look at what it could mean for us
and for companies developing Ai and
check if it really can become the
playbook for the 21st century a warm
welcome to our panel this weekend di
dson Secretary General of the alliance
of liberals and democrats for Europe
Laura Shields managing director of red
thread EU and Andrea render director of
research at the think tank here in
Brussels seps and also a university
professor over in Florence at the eui
the European University Institute so
here we are in
2024 still discussing all the various
issues that are on the table are you
happy to see this year start I have a
countdown clock for where the elections
are coming and so uh uh we're about at
150 days we passed 150 Mark and I think
that is that shows how how soon it is
and and that our time to convince is now
it's going to be a busy year Laura it's
going to be a very busy year and I think
that it's really important that whoever
is campaigning or whoever is actually
going out to talk to the electorate
firstly needs to get them to vote
because everybody is tired Fed Up and
finding life expensive and that they
need to offer them something that they
can actually be hopeful for rather than
just voting for Log Jam which is how
people are feeling right now Andrea
people are tired Fed Up also anxious
with the constant news cycle yeah it's
going to be an interesting year um it
could go either way uh we have been
surprises mostly on the negative side
over the past years maybe we get good
surprises these year elections are
always turning points and so I would not
say Europe is at the crossroads because
we say it every year Europe is always at
the crossroads and also we con for the
last eight years we've been told that at
every election democracy is on the line
and I think that's a really hard sell
for people now um even though since in
since the last five years since we had
the last European elections of course
we've had covid we've had the war in
Ukraine we've had Gaza we've got
inflation cost of living crisis I mean
things are very very tough for people
right now but I think the Democracy as
on the line argument it's going to be
very difficult for people to St stach
well look as we said there'll be
elections all across the globe us India
the UK even H Russia as well and Ukraine
in March but here in Europe All Eyes Of
course will be on those 6th to 9th June
European Parliament elections and we
spoke to jam Duke that is the
spokesperson for the European Parliament
and he's sounding pretty confident that
people in Europe will be willing to
vote in 2019 there was a significant
increase in turnout now the polls are
tell tell us that the number of people
who have already announced that they are
interested in voting is also more or
less 10 points higher than 5 years ago
so indeed I think we have an obligation
to be optimistic because the data is
good the world has become a much more
complicated place than before the new
generations have even more problems than
previous generations had but in the end
that gives even more value to the
European
project J Duke there speaking now 2019
voter turnout was just over 50% 2014 was
42.618137 you and elements as we are
going to discuss the AI but also uh uh
the elements of of of candada states for
Ukraine it makes it a bit more
operational and but but I raised the
stakes still because I always wanted to
make sure that there's a higher turnout
but now I actually want a higher
turnouts but also not just based on fear
or on element but also because they
actually care so what's your plan then
what's your strategy I think our real
strategy what we we we pulled we really
checked out our voters not only through
the traditional but we organize Town
Halls You could argue it's a lot it's a
little look we we covered in the last
year 8 or9 Town Halls all over all over
Europe and and what matters there is
indeed people want to feel listen even
more than to provide answers and that's
a good deal because it's quite difficult
to offer answers to to everything but at
least it's a recognition because we even
we feel it uh uh the the risk of and and
the difficulties of the energy Bills
going up Etc especially in rural Europe
people are feeling a little bit left
behind a little bit disenchanted
especially with the green agenda as well
coming coming thick um I just want to
touch on the the voter turnout here in
Belgium Andrea Rend it was really really
high because it's obligatory here to
vote but meanwhile over in Croatia it
was down at 29.8 that's very few people
that went to vote yeah one thing is V
turn out and will be very different
across countries the other thing is the
motivation to vote as you were saying
right uh some people will go to vote but
to express support for their National
political parties with having a clue
about what's the agenda for Europe and I
think at the moment uh given the level
of communication from the EU to the
local level uh I think it's still easier
for um a citizen of the European Union
to go to the ballot to vote against the
idea of Europe than to vote for
something that is in the program of one
of the political parties or coalitions
that is pro is uh in support of a
stronger Europe and this I think is a
problem and I think it's yet another
missed opportunity I hope that in six
years we will not go back to the vote
with the same uh sort of informational
asymmetry if you will and Laura of
course trust has eroded as well between
Brussels the EU institutions and
citizens given that Qatar gate that
alleged corruption Scandal back in
December 20122 well I wonder how much
that actually plays in member states I
mean I'm always amazed I was talking to
a friend of mine who used to be a sort
of bureau chief for one of the major
newspapers here and he's covered
Brussels for 10 years inside and out and
the minute he went back to London
it was like Brussels didn't exist
anymore I think we here get very
obsessed by it I think it might
penetrate a little bit I don't know how
much trust is an issue in there I would
actually agree with Andrea here which is
I think a lot of the time people vote
for National issues or they vote against
Europe which is what a lot of these
populists offer because the impact of
what happens in Brussels is not felt
here it's felt elsewhere and people
don't really understand it so it's very
easy for people to say the EU is a
terrible thing and project onto it
whatever they want so I think we should
expect a lot more of that but I think
that if European parties should be
offering something that's much more
positive but that's also really concrete
and I think that's where the EU has
historically struggled to communicate
it's always the view from 30,000 ft
rather than how are you going to help me
invest in I don't know a heat pump or
solar Ps or insulating my house think
concrete that is the word right I mean
but there's one reality that's also
going to happen is that regardless of of
which level of Elections you will have a
higher turn out when it's local when
it's very easy to say you want a street
left right so we have to set Ambitions a
bit straight if you compare the voting
turnout at EU level at for European
elections at the one at local one I I
don't think it's a full fair game so the
oper because the operational element is
much more complex it is a complex
element I mean if if you uh uh have a
party trick where I can try to explain
the Belgian system in 30 seconds but
there's no way I can explain Cod
decision in 30 seconds do you need to
then well if you can explain a belg
system in 30 seconds that's already
worth of a Noel prize accept now can I
say one thing on the on what what you
were saying I mean the the the Qatar
gate is essentially or largely involv in
countries like Italy or Greece and so on
so being Italian myself and and reading
the the the national press uh I can say
this is completely disappeared the
attention span of the of the voters is
so short that this has left no Trace
maybe if something happens uh you know
uh in terms of a court decision or or a
new development you will find in a page
15 of some of the major newspapers or
something like deep fakes what if I mean
deep fate could play a major role in
this campaign is that something that
you're prepared for well we we not only
were prepared but we re experien it so
we had our Slovak elections last year in
September 2023 where there was at one
point one of our leaders and there was a
deep fake audio segment where he said it
would increase and as a Belgian increase
the price of beer uh so obviously that
that made a whole uproar but they
managed to find the specialists in the
US that managed to show that this was a
fake audio fragment and they managed to
fight it so not only are we ready for it
but we actually experienced it and I
think liberals often in the center will
be targeted for this and this is why the
elements we'll discuss after of of AI
regulation is also important for that
well let's um now take a look at what
the European Parliament could look like
after the elections this year now
obviously we're speculating but we do
have a hint from the brussels-based poll
aggregator Europe elect they've already
published their first projections you
can take a look there the conservatives
are predicted to stay up on top followed
by the Socialists then renew Europe and
Dedrick you're of course the alde
party's affiliated with renew Europe and
the fourth could be identity and
democracy uh the farri group group who
tend not to participate that much um in
the Daily Business of the European
Parliament and often vote against a
number of of um of issues if you can see
now they have 76 members of the European
Parliament ID and are set to have
between 81 and 91 and what's really
telling from that graph is the greens
right down at the bottom there the pile
and the left Laura well I think that
disappeared I don't think they've just
disappeared I think the challenge on it
is is that the Europeans the greens and
the left don't have the momentum at the
moment all the momentum it seems to be
with the far right but also even the EP
is Dancing with the far right even
though they say they're not I mean we
really don't know at one level you've
got the EP that come out and say oh no
we never do deals with the um the far
right because we believe in the cord on
sanit but then you get these noises and
sort of frankly misinformation campaigns
around things like the nature
restoration law where they're saying you
know they're off they're trying to offer
a simple solution by saying we're just
going to hold back all of this green
regulation that's coming from Brussels
and I think that what the greens and the
left but particularly the greens haven't
yet managed to do is they need to lean
in and go much harder and Link the cost
of living crisis to the green agenda and
actually talk about jobs they need to
talk about why it's important for Europe
to have energy security why pushing
pulling back now is not the answer and
is not going to be cheaper in the long
term from our perspective I think do
they have ironically the greens are not
always sustainable politically I mean
it's often cyclical so I really I really
don't like uh I really don't like
predictions too much but they really
have an element of cycle so I wouldn't
be surprised if in five years they come
back again very strong but there is an
element of some of this is because
they're in Coalition in Germany too so
they're going to get sumped there that
could be that could be the element but
there there is a reality is that it's
also not a quick fix and so so if you
want quick results it's it's not an
element where there are quick results so
that is a but another issue Andre is
we've seen as well the Socialists and
the European people's party so the
conservatives the traditional groups who
normally got on great they're not
getting on as well as they were they're
not getting on on as well as they were
there is also a moment in which even in
Brussels the green narrative is not the
strongest and so there are many divisive
factors at the moment we've heard the
State of the Union speech from Ula fion
I at some points I thought I was back in
early 2000s uh because uh there's
emphasis on competitiveness the emphasis
of cutting administrative burdens
dispositioning as a pretty much as a pro
business pro uh say doing business
approach that's why she wants to get the
job again so she's got to appeal to her
own party reates on on the Socialist and
Democrats that obviously have a
different agenda there it's very
divisive in that respect we really have
the experience of having to facilitate
between two parties that don't cooporate
as much so the element of K makers is is
something that's really in our DNA was
very strong now and we really have uh
the green deal they needed our vote so
it's a very comfortable position to be
and I really hope uh um for us it's
really important to keep that that
position uh often to to find agreements
between the two big political families
it's it's an element that we've really
the the power we've had during this this
this term gives also great
responsibility for next one and and
obviously dedri the more MEPS you have
uh the more power you have the more
speaking time you have the more Pricks
and the more money you have as well for
your messaging so it would be very
interesting to see how that goes for the
time being J duuk and you met him
earlier the spokesperson of the European
Parliament he's not too phased about
these projections take a
listen even these parties that were once
practically in of leaving the European
Union are now making other types of
proposals that do not consist so much of
leaving because it's cold outside but
rather of trying to adapt the European
Union to what they believe it should be
I obviously prefer that the European
Union not only continues to function as
it has done up to now but that if
possible it functions better because
that is going to benefit us all I
believe that in any case the EU will
always be an added value never the
opposite Jamie Duke there sing pretty
pretty relaxed but what's interesting as
well we've seen MEPS a lot of them are
trying to create one day for us all to
vote the Europe day the 9th of May they
also want to make it easier for the 11
million Europeans that don't necessarily
live in the country they were born and
don't have such rights to vote I mean
there's so much work and perhaps treaty
changes that has to be done to make this
exciting this election exciting H Laura
well I think it's always struggled with
that I mean I think people will come out
and vote if they know how to and they've
got interesting Personalities in there I
think part of the I know this is what
the EU tried to do with the spits and
candidate process but the problem is
you're only your candidates are only as
good as the ones you get aren't they
it's imperfect it's definitely imperfect
but the reality is my kids that are now
living in Belgium but they're Swedish
the reality that they because they live
here right now have to vote for a
Belgian just doesn't make sense it's not
going to last at one point of course we
we've been advocating for transist for a
long time but the reality is it's going
to happen at one point because you're
going to get more of this strange
situation where just because you happen
to be registered somewhere I say that
this is the last election without a
fully fledged European digital identity
and I think perhaps in uh 5 years time
there will be uh there will be a
different way of voting and
personalities you said I mean that's
always an interesting one to watch as
well we'll see who the big personalities
of the next legislator are but look I
really have to talk about a major
election even though we think the
elections here in Europe are huge but
actually it's the elections that are
taking place in November over in the
United States that will have a massive
impact on us here in Europe a massive
impact on the world and as it stands it
looks like two male seniors could be um
up for up for that seat and we wanted to
find out more about what the mood was
now in January over in the United States
so we chatted to Alan Abramovich he's a
political scientist and author at Emer
University in Georgia among Republican
voters despite everything that's
happened Trump remains very popular and
in fact uh the indictments and various
attacks on him if anything all these
things reinforce the Loyalty of his
supporters um and they uh contribute to
a perception that he is a victim what we
know is that he's planning to surround
himself in a second term with uh uh
advisers and and and cabinet members who
would be uh much more supportive of his
authoritarian and anti-democratic goals
than officials were during his first
term in office Alan Abramovich their
political scientist um talking about a
potential second um Trump president see
despite of course the news before
Christmas from a top Court in Colorado I
mean this um Trump presidency number two
Andrea could have a Major Impact here we
could see America pulling out of NATO we
could see a change of T in Ukraine well
it it's a nightmare and it's impossible
to understand from our perspective uh I
actually was living in the US when Trump
was elected I was a professor Duke uh
and so very close to
Georgia and um I you see how the belly
of of the country the Midwest is is
really disenfranchised completely from
some some of the of the federal policies
and they really see even if you know
someone who's far from being
representative of what they experience
as being a reason to you know to to uh
um to vote together to as a protest vote
and to support someone irrespective of
whether that person has respected the
law or not or whether it appears as a
good person or not and so sense of
concern here in um in Brussels I mean
it's obviously speculation but Trump too
I mean could have a major impa yeah he
could I mean I think sales of Xanax will
probably go through the roof if he gets
reelected I mean I am not as fatalist
and I think we need to be really careful
about this it's still you know what 10
11 months until the elections and I
think it's really important that once he
comes into Focus as the candidate you
know a lot of Americans don't like the
crazy you know I mean and they will make
that decision closer to the time and
this is not me saying they're going to
overlook everything about Biden but I
think we need to take this with a pinch
of salt on the point about what it could
mean for Europe just on NATO actually
last week or the week before last the
senate pass passed and Congress passed a
vote that was basically going to Nato
proof or US president proof NATO's um
membership so that Donald Trump can't
just pull people uh the the us out
unilaterally but he can still make life
very difficult and it's also a wakeup
call here in Europe for that you can't
just rely on Uncle Sam for defense no
and they shouldn't have to I mean Obama
said the same thing he just said it
quietly I mean Europe does need to pull
its own weight on defense Trump isn't
wasn't always wrong he was just
Difficult about how he went about doing
it and unpleasant and on the two party
even made some sense that's not but I
think on on it it also shows the
complexity of having only two options
that's that's my vision as a European
but and sometimes I also frustrated
having 10 European political parties and
coalitions of eight parties in countries
like Belgium but but the reality is it
gives it gives more Nuance more repres
public Choice than than uh and just very
briefly we're running out of time but
elections um on the 17th of March I
believe in Russia at the end of um March
in Ukraine interesting times very
interesting times we'll see what Happ
happens the problem in Ukraine at the
moment is uh even bigger than the
problem of Elections is getting support
now there is a a prospect of having some
15 million people needing humanitarian
Aid in Ukraine uh next year so even
before the elections the thing is
getting getting support not only in
terms of material support weapons and so
on but also the money that is being
blocked and I think this is a very bad
dark page in the history of the European
Union at the moment having someone that
is really standing against providing
support to Ukraine well we will keep an
eye on all those elections it would be a
fascinating uh year for us here at Euro
news reporting on all those elections
and hearing of course how they impact us
here in Europe but it's time now to take
a very short break afterwards we'll be
taking a look at if it's possible to
regulate AI see you
[Music]
soon welcome back to Brussels my love
with me mave McMahon now it's 2024 and
although as you've seen we cannot
predict election outcomes we can be sure
of one thing and that is that AI will
evolve at the speed of light this year
and become more and more part of our
lives in order to get ahead the EU has
got a plan up its sleeve a deal was
sealed in December on new rules to
regulate high-risk AI models and systems
including a list of where I AI is
prohibited of course the devil is in the
details Andrea I mean you've followed
these negotiations extremely closely can
you elaborate more on this deal what
exactly was reached well the first
important question is asking whether AI
can be regulated at all and there's many
people that would say no it cannot be
regulated it goes too fast it's too
pervasive it's too multifaceted and
indeed the answer from the EU is uh
largely no we're not regulating AI we're
regulating uses and applications of AI
with one exception that I will explain
in a second so the idea of the AI Act is
to build a classification of risks and
we're building uh identifying
applications that are too risky to be
placed on the market and so these are
simply prohibited meaning we don't know
how to mitigate the risks in a
sufficient way so social credit scoring
or uh uh pred certain forms of
predictive policing or using a realtime
uh biometric data to identify people in
public places all these are largely
falling in that category um there are
other uh applications that have been
pre-identified but hopefully the list
will have to evolve over time which are
considered to be highrisk and by are
regulated and because of course it'll
take time as well for this to be
actually come into force and dedri your
political party are they in favor of
this deal that was sealed because
obviously you're probably thinking about
companies as well and trying to get it
right for them well we've been very
proactive on this so it was under eura
andon so this is an element that is a
compromise it is imperfect but it has
the elements of guaranteeing both the
freedoms uh uh to still be able to use
AI obviously in the field I think what
made it successful is indeed as you
rightfully point out is to reput some
Risky Business AI in medical elements uh
is something you have to be careful in
policing is something be careful and
there I think the frame is very good to
basically said look if it's human
trafficking if it's a questions of
terrorism then there is a way to use it
but we managed to protect from the
Chinese point system and that is there
so there are it's imperfect it is a
compromise but I think the elements that
we are do you know how we usually joke
around here in Brussels about saying EU
invents uh China copies EU regulates
it's not really a joke anymore because
we sometimes regulations goes a bit too
far but this is one example where we put
set frames uh with the info we have now
uh so we don't exaggerating over
regulating but we also don't leave it
fully free and manage to protect the fre
it's called the Brussels effect right
yeah but I have an objection to that but
uh okay we'll hear it but let's just
hear briefly from Laura your take on
this and AI in general I mean what do
you think of it do you use it and how do
you feel when you hear the likes of Elon
Musk say it will steal all our jobs I
don't pay attention to anything Elon
Musk says for anymore or ever in fact uh
what do I do I do use it I find it
really helpful for um supporting me on
my job because I get it to write me fake
EU regulations for training exercises
although you you do have to prompt it to
be way more jargony in order to get it
right where I'm really uncomfortable
with it is with the hallucinations so
where it actually projects stuff in a
really confident way that turns out to
be completely false so for example I
ched a panel a couple of weeks ago I
asked it to help me with some questions
I asked it to find me some quotes that
people had not chat GPT it was one of
the search engines and I asked it to
have find me some quotes from people who
were going to be on those panels to see
what they' said and the links to the
sources and it made them up three of the
four guests it completely made them up
and it was really confident yeah it
doesn't have that information yet I
definitely rely on my questions for now
better than AI exactly the point it's
great but you have to know what you're
using with it and what the liit to get
to know us better um but I would I also
wanted to hear what big companies um
feel about this AI act like Amazon meta
Tik Tok Google um so we caught up with
their representative here in Brussels
that Cecilia bonel she's the head of
digital Europe there is two sides of the
point h of course it's always very
positive when the EU has one regulation
instead of 27 we are very happy with the
risk-based approach and with regulating
the uses of Technology not the
technology itself we are far far behind
in Europe on AI uh we have around 8% of
our companies that uses and have adopted
AI if you look at us they're around 50%
and if you look at China it's around 70%
in fact I think it's going to make it
much harder uh we have a zunami of
Regulation coming our way and when that
hits the smaller companies it's G they
are going to struggle to
implement Cecilia bonial there um from
digital Europe that also May represents
45,000 digital smmes she's worried about
that tsunami of legislation well that's
not just the AI act right there's been
so much legislation DSA dma data act
data governance act that can go on for
on our way in Cas our viewers Brussels
my love but that said um my opinion is
that the EU should have closed the AI
act before and that it has experienced
this year sort of a fomo a fear of
missing out why because as AI continues
to evolve you have the temptation to
reopen the dosier and write an
additional piece and so on so I think
it's been a bit complicated that's one
thing the second thing is uh the
commission had promised to develop both
an ecosystem of Trust on a
uh which is largely the legislation and
the standards that come with it but also
an next system of Excellence which comes
with investment and so on and then we
look at it at the moment the ecosystem
of Excellence is simply not there
looking for example at Venture Capital
uh at the moment in recent calculations
we published a paper ATS on this uh 61%
of venture capital in the world goes to
the US 177% goes to China 6% goes to the
EU uh and despite the fact that we at
the moment form and prepare uh even more
leading AI scientists than the US and so
there is at least something to start
from meaning we have the talent but the
talent goes elsewhere but it's unlikely
it become the global Playbook I mean we
see the UK have their own executive
order on AI we saw the UK as well before
Christmas had their big Summit on AI I
mean the race to regulate is on there's
a trivial proceed question in the EU
bubble is who killed the European
Amazons the European Facebook the and
and and there's a lot of theories about
it definitely the fact that it's easier
to go to a market with uh with with
single rules for 400 million whereas
there are still some fragmented elements
there I think it's a combination of
everything but indeed not we have some
good example there's there Spotify
there's Skype even though B over but but
it's still should be one priority to to
Really analyze and see what do we do
wrong final Point well it needs to be
easier to fail in Europe as well you
know I mean I'm not I'm not a big fan of
Serial failing companies that just keep
resurrecting themselves with CEOs who
then end up in jail which is what you
get in the US but I do think it needs to
be easier for people to take risks here
in business terms and I don't know if
that's necessarily an EU thing or if
it's a national thing but it seems there
also a cultural thing this sense of
shame but we'll get back to that topic
another time because I'm afraid we're
out of time unfortunately because that
is a fascinating H discussion that we
will as I promise get back to but thank
you so much to our panel for being with
us and thank you so much for watching
stay with us here on EUR news and for
more news on anything you've heard today
check out yours.com
[Music]
welcome back to Brussels my love I'm ma
McMahan and along with our panel dri
deeton Andrea Renda and Laura Shields
we're taking a look ahead to this year
to 2024 so let's get to know our
panelists a little bit more and ask them
what your personal plans are for this
year and of course your wishes for
Europe Andrea well I just took over as
director of seps director of research at
seps is the oldest and largest T tank in
town I have a very ambitious plan to uh
make it even more Innovative more
influential and impactful uh without a
you know predefined agenda but really to
go for evidence-based high quality
policy advice and involving as many
stakeholders as possible so that's my my
personal workaholic here around the
table what about you dedri well you're
going to think it's about about work too
but you know I'll be on a stage in
Eurovision uh uh and that is because it
will be the Eurovision debate between
the lead candidat for presidency of the
commission but if I want to for my kids
they definitely would like me to get
some tickets for the Eurovision music
contest in Malmo instead so that could
be one objective to wonderful and we
cover that here on your news it's a
great event Laura I'm going to promise
to finish no I'm going to finish the
book that I've been writing for two and
a half years that has been hanging
around my net like an Alber TR and I'm
going to finally get it done and I
saying that on TV wonderful you've said
it here first we will keep an eye on
that well of course we wanted to find
out as well what people across the
streets of Europe um are feeling and
hoping that this year will bring so we
sent your news reporters to the streets
of Rome Athens and
Budapest I want to see people smile more
come on everyone should be smiling more
often and people should be more happy in
general we were born to be happy my baby
will be born in February it would be
nice if he could arrive in a more
peaceful
world better salaries and more jobs for
young people I don't have any
expectations for 2024 things will get
worse we are working for hours a day we
work ourselves to death to get zero in
the
end I hope that things will get better
for everyone labor and socially mostly I
think this year is going to be a tough
transitioning Year many things are
changing I want to start my business I
want to buy an apartment but I'm a long
way from that with a positive mindset
everything will be
okay and a big thanks to our teams in
Greece Italy and Hungary for Gathering
all all those uh views I mean there's a
bit of a threat of discontentment there
no it's funny because people want
optimism but you feel that there's also
fear and there's also and it's a reality
I think we feel it all it's there's so
many conflicts around the world right
now that affect us directly and and I
think it is now fair and it's not a Miss
Universe comments to say that we want
peace because I think we really do want
peace uh but and and and I am in a way
proud of some of of of people of my
political family what they to try to
achieve peace in in some elements but
this is something where I think it is
fair to want world peace now and and to
to contribute to it better jobs better
pay health was an issue as well that
came up a lot and we didn't have time to
play all the clips absolutely but uh
wellbeing in particular will have to be
at the center and the Forefront even of
you policy going forward it is currently
not really at the Forefront so my wish
for Europe this year is to rebuild and
and find again its identity meaning a a
development model and a vision for the
future that is really uh focusing on the
well-being of people and more generally
on people planet and prosperity rather
than competitiveness Laura well I would
agree on that point with Andrea actually
and it's it was heartening that the
European commission brought out its
mental health communication um earlier
this year but they need to do a lot more
work on that I have a personal and
family uh history in that area and I
think that on the well-being point a lot
more time spent on how to help people
cope with the challenges of the modern
world would be something that would be
really important less Macho politics
please less Macho politics and on Mental
Health I'm sure every family in Europe
has a personal story on that so that is
an issue that really needs to be
addressed and that we would love to as
well revisit here on Brussels and my
love but for now it is time just to say
a big thank you to dedri deeton Andrea
Renda and Laura shields for being our
guests on this New Year's special thank
you so much to you all and have a great
New Year um and thank you so much for
watching as always if you have any
comments for us or messages or stories
that you want us to explore please reach
out our email address is Brussels my
love euronews.com you can also find us
on Instagram and Linkedin as you know we
love hearing from you take care and see
you soon here on Euro
[Music]
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