New turn as EU watchdog opens inquiry into AI adviser Snabe

The inquiry is about the selection by the European Commission of Snabe as its AI adviser in June. NGOs object because Siemens tried to change the AI rules.

An EU watchdog opened an inquiry into the selection of Snabe as AI adviser of the European Commission. The Commission did not tell its view. Siemens was one of the supporters of an exemption for machines in the EU AI law. EU legislators agreed to this change in the summer, and it is part of the law.

What is new

The inquiry of the watchdog is the new step. NGOs object to the June selection because Siemens tried to change the AI rules. The source gives no date for a result.

The facts

Siemens is part of European Tech Creators, a new lobby group in Brussels. The group spoke with the Commission president and will try to speak with the president each quarter. The Commission did not give lawmakers and others access to documents about the selection.

What the Commission tells

The Commission told before that the report of Snabe will be open to all. It also told that the advice of Snabe will be open to all. The source gives no view of the Commission on the inquiry.

Insight: Firms that got an AI exemption now face a conflict question

Siemens was one of the supporters of the exemption for machines, and it is part of the law. On 14 October the EU AI Office sent its first Requests for Information, and its enforcement powers started on 2 August. This reads as industry that writes the AI rules, and NGOs object to the part of Siemens. Next move to monitor: the result of the inquiry and the release of the documents.