During her campaign, Ursula von der Leyen, now President-elect of the European Commission, suggested she would propose legislation within her first 100 days in office on artificial intelligence (AI). With her victory on July 16, von der Leyen now stands in a position to make good on her campaign promises.

In her “Agenda for Europe”, which outlined her intended priorities should she win, von der Leyen proposed to put forward legislation for a coordinated European approach to address the human and ethical implications of AI. She suggested the legislation would also examine how big data may be used to advance innovations that stand to benefit European businesses. Von der Leyen indicated that she would prioritize investments in AI during her tenure through formal funding and public-private partnerships.

It now remains to be seen whether and how von der Leyen will address AI-related issues in office. The Akin Gump cross-practice AI team will continue to monitor the situation.