Policymakers in Europe are actively engaging with developments in artificial intelligence, as detailed in the latest bulletin from CDT Europe. The European Commission recently published a second draft of the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice, inviting feedback on its contents. This draft includes more comprehensive documentation and guidance for assessing AI system risks but continues to omit certain risks such as privacy concerns and non-consensual imagery.
Concerns have been raised by organizations representing rightsholders regarding potential impacts on EU copyright standards. A joint letter led by the European Publishers Council calls for significant revisions to ensure compliance with existing laws.
The next version of this Code is anticipated on February 17, allowing participants to comment further.
In a related development, the European AI Office presented a template for training data transparency during a working group meeting. While public access to this presentation is available, feedback is restricted to Code of Practice participants until January 31.
Guidelines defining AI systems and prohibited practices under the AI Act will be released soon. These guidelines follow a consultation process that was criticized for not including draft versions for public comment. Civil society organizations emphasize maintaining broad definitions to avoid excluding potentially harmful "simple" AI systems from liability.
A timeline for the AI Liability Directive has also been announced by MEP Axel Voss's office. Open consultations will begin on February 3, with a parliamentary vote scheduled by January 2026.
Additional news includes publications by the European Data Protection Board addressing bias evaluation in AI tools and GDPR compliance opinions concerning AI models. The Italian data protection authority has requested information from DeepSeek chatbot developers following previous fines against OpenAI for GDPR breaches involving ChatGPT.
The European Commission plans an open webinar on February 20 focusing on AI literacy as part of its ongoing efforts under the AI Pact initiative. It also announced locations for new European AI factories aimed at advancing supercomputing capabilities within the EU.
CDT Europe highlights several recommended reads this month, covering human rights in AI guidelines, global regulatory challenges, France's stance on EU regulations, and financial discrimination issues discussed in an AlgorithmWatch podcast.
