*This is an AI-powered machine translation of the original text in Portuguese

Spain becomes the first European country to establish a regulatory body focused on artificial intelligence. According to a statement (1), the Council of Ministers of Spain has approved the statute of the Spanish Agency for the Supervision of Artificial Intelligence (AESIA), which is affiliated with the Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation. Its headquarters will be located in the province of A Coruña (2).

This establishment is foreseen in the European Regulation on Artificial Intelligence (AI Act) (3), legislation still in the process of implementation, which stipulates that each Member State must create or designate a competent national authority to ensure the oversight and enforcement of the Regulation. Within the Spanish jurisdiction, Law No. 22/2021 (4), which establishes the general principles of the Spanish public administration, authorized the Government to create AESIA, endowed with legal personality, its own assets, and autonomy in its management.

AESIA is expected to act independently and impartially with the aim of minimizing risks to the security and health of individuals, as well as their fundamental rights, that may arise from the use of artificial intelligence systems, both on its own and in coordination with other state entities and the private sector when appropriate.

As reported (5), the authority should have the competencies to oversee artificial intelligence systems to minimize risks to integrity, privacy, equality, and other fundamental rights, impose sanctions on conduct deemed irregular, and support the development of artificial intelligence systems with a focus on gender, the environment, and sustainability.

The creation of AESIA represents a significant milestone in the history of regulating the use of artificial intelligence. Its establishment is expected to drive and influence other countries in the development of their respective national authorities.

References

1)     https://www.hacienda.gob.es/Documentacion/Publico/GabineteMinistro/Notas Prensa/2023/CONSEJO-DE-MINISTROS/22-08-23-NP-CM-Estatutos-Agencia-Inteligencia-Artificial.pdf