'Seize AI Initiative'... EU Calls for AI Regulation Cooperation from Korea and Others

The European Union (EU), which has entered a race to establish the world's first regulations on artificial intelligence (AI), has begun encouraging participation from Asian countries, including South Korea. Analysts suggest this reflects an intention to counter the United States amid its competition with China for AI leadership and to steer related discussions in favor of Europe.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media on the 18th (local time), the EU and its member states recently dispatched officials to more than ten Asian countries, including India, Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines, as they prepare to introduce AI regulations.

Last month, the European Parliament passed the world's first AI regulatory proposal, and in connection with this, it has taken steps to persuade countries of the need to establish strict guidelines. Especially as major U.S. big tech companies lead the AI sector, the EU aims to curb the U.S.'s dominance as a latecomer and establish a regulatory framework led by the EU to guide related discussions. Previously, the EU enacted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, the world's strictest personal data protection law, and has experience leading related international discussions.

However, the responses from Asian governments are reportedly lukewarm. A South Korean government official, after meeting with Thierry Breton, the EU Commissioner for Internal Market who visited to discuss AI and semiconductor industries, stated, "We will continue discussions with the EU on regulations, but we are more interested in what is happening within the Group of Seven (G7)." The G7 announced at the summit held in Japan last May that it would launch the Hiroshima AI Process, a forum aimed at creating an international framework for AI control norms.

Some countries prioritize technological development over AI regulation. Japan is considering applying AI regulations that are more relaxed than those of the EU. Singapore focuses on technological advancement rather than regulation, and Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines are also preparing their own guidelines.

Commissioner Breton said in an interview with a foreign media outlet, "We share the same values," and added, "I think the distance between us is not that far." The EU plans to continue related discussions, seeing potential to expand consensus on AI cooperation with countries that have digital partnerships with the EU, such as South Korea, Japan, and Singapore.

Earlier, the EU legislative body, the European Parliament, passed the world's first AI regulatory bill last month. According to this bill, companies operating generative AI such as ChatGPT must undergo risk assessment evaluations. They are also obligated to manage AI chatbots to prevent the production of illegal content. Furthermore, they must disclose that content was created by generative AI and reveal the copyrights of the data used for AI training. If the trilateral negotiations involving the EU Commission and Council, the final legislative hurdle, are approved by the end of this year, the bill will be enforced starting in 2026.

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