PIPC Begins Discussions on AI Regulation Directions with Major Countries Worldwide

'AI and Data Privacy International Conference'
Over 300 Participants from Major Countries and International Organizations Worldwide
Discussing Directions for Personal Data Protection in the AI Era

Goh Hak-su, Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, is giving a presentation at the "International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Data Privacy" held on the 23rd at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The Personal Information Protection Commission exchanged opinions on AI regulation with overseas personal data supervisory authorities from the UK, Germany, Japan, and AI experts.

On the 23rd, the Personal Information Protection Commission and the Digital Platform Government Commission held the "International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Data Privacy" at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. The conference was attended by major national personal data supervisory authorities, experts related to artificial intelligence from both domestic and international organizations including the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

This conference is significant as it marks the formal start of discussions on AI regulatory directions together with key European countries (the UK, Germany, France) that are leading regulatory frameworks in the AI domain.

Ko Hak-su, Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, stated, "AI is dynamically growing in various fields such as large-scale AI models, autonomous driving, and healthcare, causing significant changes across society, but concerns about AI side effects and risks coexist. It is now necessary to consider how to apply existing personal data protection legal principles to the AI domain."

He further emphasized, "The principle that AI must be transparent by openly disclosing the purpose and content of personal data processing to enable explainable AI must be strictly observed." From this perspective, he proposed three policy directions: ▲ providing safeguards for AI service providers ▲ shifting the regulatory paradigm from rule-based to principle-based ▲ introducing differentiated regulations based on AI risk criteria.

Additionally, he suggested establishing a system to share AI-related issues and responses among personal data supervisory authorities by exchanging information on AI-related enforcement cases between countries, thereby creating communication channels responsible for related issues.

In the morning session, Anupam Chander, professor at Georgetown Law School in the United States, said, "Different regulations in each country may result in certain companies not entering some markets. While this can be seen as an opportunity for domestic companies to grow, it is uncertain whether local companies have the capacity to meet such demands. Data flows should be enabled through international safety measures."

In the afternoon session, John Edwards, Commissioner of the UK Information Commissioner's Office, stated, "AI technology must be considered in terms of privacy risks and its impact on public trust. While there are ways to understand the influence of laws and technology for data protection, fundamentally, ensuring transparency, informed consent, and protective measures is crucial. Cooperation to address these issues is important."

Representatives from the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), and the OECD data protection organizations also expressed their commitment to continue cooperating to establish a consistent framework for AI regulation. They agreed to develop concrete measures to enforce regulations more effectively and appropriately.

Meanwhile, companies attending the conference, including Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Samsung, unanimously emphasized the importance of adhering to personal data protection principles and ensuring accountability to mitigate the risks of AI technology. They also called for reasonable regulations to protect personal data.

International AI-related companies agreed that mitigating risks of artificial intelligence (AI) technology requires compliance with privacy principles and securing accountability, as well as establishing reasonable regulations for privacy protection.

Kim Hyun-jong, Executive Vice President in charge of personal data at Samsung Electronics, said, "To minimize privacy threats that may arise in the collection and use of training data necessary for AI development, I hope that reasonable and balanced institutional measures for AI personal data protection will be established through public-private collaboration."

Chairperson Ko Hak-su emphasized, "This discussion will serve as a starting point for continuous and concrete follow-up discussions. We will actively participate in international discussions to effectively resolve newly emerging privacy issues in the AI era and to promote the development of trustworthy AI."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.