As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to advance, it is important to reflect on the role of data protection in the times of AI. The avid appetite of AI systems for information, including but not limited to personal data, combined with their ability to perform complex analytics leads us to reflect on how to apply data protection to AI tools. The EDPS aims to ensure the integration of AI into day-to-day lives in a human-centered way, respecting the rights and freedoms of individuals. Therefore, it is essential to think about how data protection can contribute to achieve the desired human-centric AI approach, including about the meaning of personal data is in the context of AI. The concept was shaped on the basis of the assumption that anonymisation or the impossibility for an actor to identify data subjects was a sufficient safeguard to uphold individuals’ rights and freedoms. Building on the more recent case law from the CJEU and of the EU General Court, this panel will discuss the practical dilemmas that emerge, in the context of AI.
