The European Commission has unveiled details regarding establishing its new AI Office, which will oversee the execution of the AI Act and general-purpose models in the EU.  The AI Office aims at enabling the future development, deployment and use of AI in a way that fosters societal and economic benefits and innovation, while mitigating risks. The Office will play a vital role in implementing the AI Act, especially concerning general-purpose AI models. It will also work to foster research and innovation in trustworthy AI and position the EU as a leader in international discussions. 

The five units of the AI office 

• Regulation and Compliance Unit that coordinates the regulatory approach to facilitate the uniform application and enforcement of the AI Act across the Union, working closely with Member States. The unit will contribute to investigations and possible infringements, administering sanctions; 
• Unit on AI safety focusing on the identification of systemic risks of competent general-purpose models, possible mitigation measures, as well as evaluation and testing approaches; 
• Excellence in AI and Robotics Unit that supports and funds research and development to foster an ecosystem of excellence. It coordinates the GenAI4EU initiative, stimulating the growth of models and their integration into innovative applications; 
• AI for Societal Good Unit to design and implement the international engagement of the AI Office in AI for good, such as weather modelling, cancer diagnoses and digital twins for reconstruction; 
• AI Innovation and Policy Coordination Unit that oversees the execution of the EU AI strategy, monitoring trends and investment, stimulating the uptake of AI through a network of European Digital Innovation Hubs and the establishment of AI Factories, and fostering an innovative ecosystem by supporting regulatory sandboxes and real-world testing. 

The AI Office will be led by the Head of the AI Office and will work under the guidance of a lead scientific adviser to ensure scientific excellence in evaluating models and innovative approaches and an Adviser for international affairs to follow up on their commitment to work closely with international partners on trustworthy AI. 

AI Office setup and tasks 

The AI Office will employ more than 140 staff to carry out its tasks. The staff will include technology specialists, administrative assistants, lawyers, policy specialists, and economists. 

The Office will ensure the coherent implementation of the AI Act by supporting the governance bodies in Member States. The AI Office will also directly enforce the rules for general-purpose AI models. In cooperation with AI developers, the scientific community, and other stakeholders, the AI Office will coordinate the drawing up of state-of-the-art codes of practice, conduct testing and evaluation of general-purpose AI models, request information, and apply sanctions when necessary. 

The AI Office will collaborate with Member States and the wider expert community to ensure well-informed decision-making through dedicated fora and expert groups. At the EU level, the AI Office will work closely with the European Artificial Intelligence Board, which is composed of Member States' representatives. The Scientific Panel of independent experts will ensure a strong link with the scientific community, and further expertise will be gathered in an Advisory Forum, representing a balanced selection of stakeholders, including industry, startups and SMEs, academia, think tanks, and civil society. 

The AI Office will promote an innovative EU ecosystem for trustworthy AI. It will contribute to this by advising on best practices and enabling access to AI sandboxes, real-world testing and other European support structures for AI uptake, such as the Testing and Experimentation Facilities in AI, the European Digital Innovation Hubs, and the AI Factories. It will support research and innovation activities in the field of AI and robotics and implement initiatives, such as GenAI4EU, to ensure that AI general-purpose models made in Europe and trained through EU supercomputers are finetuned and integrated into novel applications across the economy, stimulating investment. 

To sum up, the AI Office will ensure a strategic, coherent and effective European approach to AI internationally, becoming a global reference point. 

Next Steps 

According to the EU press release, the organisational changes outlined above will take effect on 16 June. The first meeting of the AI Board is expected by the end of June. The AI Office is preparing guidelines on the AI system definition and prohibitions, both due six months after the entry into force of the AI Act. The Office is also getting ready to coordinate the drawing up of codes of practice for the obligations for general-purpose AI models, due nine months after entry into force. 

Source: European Commission

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