A key step towards the adoption of the EU AI Act was reached on 2 February 2024 as the draft text received unanimous approval from the European Council’s main preparatory body. There are further votes to follow before the Act is adopted, but it’s looking likely that the final vote will take place in April and some substantive provisions of the Act could be in force soon after that, possibly by the end of the year.

8 December 2023 was a historic moment for AI regulation in Europe. Following three days of extensive debates, the EU Parliament, Council and Commission finally announced a provisional agreement on the EU AI Act, the bloc’s landmark legislation regulating the development and use of AI in Europe. It is one of the world’s first comprehensive attempts to regulate the use of AI.

The Federal Information Security Act (ISA), which only entered into force on 1 January 2024, is already being amended with an obligation to report cyberattacks for operators of critical infrastructures. On 18 January 2024, the deadline expired for challenging the amendment by way of a public referendum. This means that the amended version will become law, with the new obligation to report cyberattacks expected to come into force in 2025, although an exact date has not yet been set.

On 23 December 2023, the United Nations Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence released an interim report, marking a step forward in the global discourse on Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance. This report, a collaborative effort of experts from government, the private sector, civil society, and academia, calls for a robust global framework to regulate AI. Its publication underscores the urgency and complexity of addressing AI’s rapidly evolving landscape.

President Biden’s issuance of the Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence (AI) on 30 October 2023 marks a significant legislative stride in AI regulation. This directive, extending beyond the US, has profound implications for European businesses and the EU’s regulatory landscape on AI.

After three days of extensive final debate the EU Parliament, Council and Commission finally announced provisional agreement on the EU AI Act, the bloc’s landmark legislation regulating development and use of AI in the European Union. It is one of the world’s first comprehensive attempts to regulate the use of AI.
The EU AI Act awaits formal adoption by both Parliament and Council before it will become EU law.

The capabilities and use cases for AI and ML are moving at lightning speed, and the law is trying to catch up. Legal, compliance and governance functions must manage risk and develop processes and policies for AI projects that work with the law as it is today, while also anticipating the coming wave of legal, regulatory and technological change.
In this webinar series, our EMEA team discussed the IP and data privacy issues raised by AI, the developing regulatory landscape and practical issues when contracting for AI.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning technology is driving important new business opportunities across a growing number of industry sectors, including consumer goods and retail. Many CG&R companies are looking into how AI can enhance their business processes and customer interactions and with generative AI and the arrival of ChatGPT, the scope for application is staggering.

The pandemic acted as a catalyst for acceleration of the metaverse, as increased remote working, studying and the need for remote healthcare provision have increased consumer acceptance of online interactions and created demand for those interactions to be more “life-like.” At the same time, rapidly developing technology and infrastructure is creating the opportunity to perform more activities virtually. The exploration of this new realm may not necessarily be smooth sailing. New challenges may arise in relation to data protection and cybersecurity. Familiar considerations like compliance with regulatory regimes or IP protection may give rise to complexities that are otherwise not apparent at first glance. Parallel trade also continues to generate disputes between IP owners and parallel importers, and our report highlights some recent developments. Baker McKenzie’s trends report provides a summary of some of the key issues to consider from a trademark perspective.

In the fifth episode of the series, partner Eva-Maria Strobel and senior associate Tiffany Conley from our IP and data and technology practice discuss green trademarks in green innovation, the options for protection, and the challenges of green trademarks registration. They examine the issues surrounding the revocation of registered trademarks, and highlight the trends and developments from both a European and Asia Pacific lens.