• Presented by the European Commission in April 2021, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act has sparked intense debate among policymakers, civil society, and the business community at the European level

• Tech Barcelona joined Allied for Startups in January 2023 to advocate for the voice of Barcelona’s digital and technological ecosystem in Brussels

Barcelona, April 5th, 2023-. Tech Barcelona, the private non-profit association that represents Barcelona’s digital and technological ecosystem, has joined twenty European startup and AI associations to call for balanced regulation in future AI legislation in Europe. The initiative is part of a joint manifesto that seeks to preserve the innovation capacity of European actors in the field of AI.

The Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), presented by the European Commission in April 2021, has sparked intense debate among policymakers, civil society, and the business community. And the rise of certain AI techniques and concepts, such as General Purpose AI (GPAI) and generative AI (such as ChatGPT), has added even more complexity to the discussion. In this context, European startup and AI associations take the opportunity to remind policymakers of the fundamental elements that should be included in the AI Law to preserve the innovation capacity of European actors and ideally, further drive it through:

• A pragmatic and proportional approach to defining high-risk AI systems.
• Sandboxes suitable for startups and other innovative companies to maximize their usefulness.
• A governance model that genuinely involves stakeholders.
• Future-proof requirements and obligations.

Tech Barcelona joins Allied For Startups

Tech Barcelona has joined Allied For Startups to strengthen its presence in Brussels and actively participate in political debates affecting the technology industry worldwide. Allied For Startups is a global network of startup associations based in Brussels, whose mission is to create a better policy environment for startups and entrepreneurs. The organization represents startups and entrepreneurs on policy issues and advocates for policies that support innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation.

With this alliance, Tech Barcelona aims to increase its participation and collaborate with other startup associations to share best practices and promote policies that support innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe.