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Media literacy: Fostering a key civic skill in a digital information environment
Media literacy – the skills, knowledge and understanding that allow people to use media effectively and safely – is crucial for citizens to navigate the modern news environment and take informed decisions. Better media literacy is likely to increase the public's resilience to mis- and disinformation. The EU considers media literacy to be important for active involvement in today's information society. It has launched several initiatives to raise awareness among the Member States of the importance ...
Digital networks act
Key EU connectivity challenges include: (i) accelerating fibre network deployment by setting a decommissioning deadline for legacy technology (copper networks); (ii) balancing EU and national interests in allocating spectrum; (iii) ensuring cybersecurity for new generation mobile technologies (5G and 6G); (iv) controlling and protecting the submarine cable connection system; and (v) tackling the network cost contribution debate ('fair share'). The long-awaited digital networks act (DNA) may also ...
Transforming animal farming through artificial intelligence
By 2033, global meat protein consumption is projected to increase by 3 %, which is expected to result in higher greenhouse gas emissions. Artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things have the potential to revolutionise the livestock sector by enabling farmers to increase productivity while reducing environmental impact. AI-powered systems support real-time monitoring of animal health, behaviour and welfare, allowing for the early detection of disease and stress and enabling personalised ...
EU and UK approaches to AI: Latest developments
The EU and the United Kingdom (UK) have both been active in shaping the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. They have each introduced measures to ensure that people and businesses can take advantage of the benefits of AI, while minimising its risks. However, there are also a number of differences in their approaches. The EU has adopted a comprehensive risk-based regulatory framework, whereas the UK has a more light-touch regulatory approach. So far, the UK has not adopted ...
Algorithmic discrimination under the AI Act and the GDPR
After the entry into force of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act in August 2024, an open question is its interplay with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The AI Act aims to promote human-centric, trustworthy and sustainable AI, while respecting individuals' fundamental rights and freedoms, including their right to the protection of personal data. One of the AI Act's main objectives is to mitigate discrimination and bias in the development, deployment and use of 'high-risk AI systems ...
Children and generative AI
Children are intensive users of digital tools such as artificial intelligence (AI). Generative AI – AI that can create new content such as text, images, videos and music – is becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it difficult to distinguish user-generated content from AI-generated (synthetic) content. If not supervised properly, these tools might carry risks for children, whose cognitive capacities are still developing. The need to strengthen generative AI literacy for children, educators and ...
Setting spyware standards after the Pegasus scandal
In June 2023, following its investigation into Europe's spyware scandal, the European Parliament issued a final recommendation identifying country-specific shortcomings and proposing EU standards for the use of spyware. Proposed safeguards include judicial approval, proportionality requirements, independent oversight, notification duties, and data deletion. Member States embroiled in the spyware scandal are making progress – albeit uneven – towards meeting these standards. Greece has amended its ...
What if Europe championed new AI hardware?
Europe could gain competitive edge by supporting the development of new hardware for artificial intelligence (AI). Current state-of-the-art hardware is not optimised for machine learning, and both academic and private sector research is already leading to new designs. At the same time, the need for more time- and energy-efficient machine-learning hardware is increasing as more consumers and companies want access to machine-learning applications. The European Union (EU) has the opportunity to leverage ...
Cryptographic security: Critical to Europe's digital sovereignty
By the 2030s, quantum computers might compromise traditional cryptography, putting digital infrastructure at high risk in the European Union (EU) and around the world. Specifically, it is expected that quantum computers' unique capabilities will allow them to solve complex mathematical problems, such as breaking the traditional cryptographic systems used universally. The confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of sensitive data – including health, financial, security and defence information – ...
Managed security services
Managed security services are services carrying out or providing assistance for activities relating to customers' cybersecurity risk management. They are gaining increasing importance in the prevention and mitigation of cybersecurity incidents. Yet they were not included in the scope of the EU cybersecurity certification framework in the 2019 Cybersecurity Act. As some Member States have begun adopting certification schemes for managed security services that are divergent or inconsistent, there is ...