AI Governance Briefing — January 24, 2024
The European Commission formed the European AI Office to coordinate EU AI Act enforcement, supervise general-purpose AI providers, and steer cross-border codes of practice and sandboxes across the single market.
Executive briefing: On January 24, 2024 the European Commission created the European Artificial Intelligence Office inside DG CONNECT to steer EU AI Act implementation. The office will supervise general-purpose AI models, coordinate national competent authorities through the AI Board, and issue guidance on codes of practice, incident reporting templates, and innovation sandboxes ahead of the Act’s phased application.
Control checkpoints
- Centralise GPAI oversight. The AI Office can request system cards, risk management files, and evaluation results from general-purpose AI providers. Align documentation pipelines so Article 53 and Article 55 dossiers can be delivered on demand.
- Prepare for joint supervision. The office will chair the AI Board and coordinate cross-border investigations with national market surveillance authorities. Harmonise model registers, post-market monitoring evidence, and incident playbooks across EU subsidiaries.
- Engage in codes of practice. Early priorities include co-developing voluntary codes for GPAI safety, watermarking, and transparency. Nominate legal, policy, and engineering leads to participate and translate commitments into product backlogs.
- Leverage sandboxes. The office will expand AI Pact commitments, testing facilities, and regulatory sandboxes. Integrate these programmes into launch checklists to validate safeguards before the Act’s prohibitions and high-risk duties bite.
Action plan
- Update EU AI Act roadmaps with AI Office milestones covering GPAI documentation requests, incident notification procedures, and Board reporting cadences.
- Track upcoming implementing and delegated acts led by the AI Office and schedule cross-functional reviews so consultation responses arrive before deadlines.
- Align communications, legal, and engineering teams on how to package model cards, training data summaries, and post-market monitoring metrics that the AI Office can audit.