Lucilla Sioli to lead AI Office
he European Commission has announced the establishment of a new unit tasked with overseeing the AI Act. Lucilla Sioli, currently Director for AI and Digital Industry within the Commission, will lead the AI Office. This new office is a restructuring of an existing unit and will consist of five main departments, each led by a director responsible for implementing the AI Act. The AI Office will employ 140 people, including technological experts, lawyers, and policy specialists, with 80 of these positions still to be filled. The departments will focus on regulation and compliance, safety, excellence and robotics, AI for societal good, and innovation.
The AI Office will supervise the rules for general-purpose AI systems and function as a central coordination body for AI policy at the EU level. It will coordinate with other departments within the EU executive, its agencies, companies, and the 27 Member States. The AI Act, Europe’s new law to regulate machine learning technology, will officially enter into force in June. Compliance deadlines for companies are approaching, with bans on prohibited practices starting in November. General-purpose AI rules will apply from May 2025, and obligations for high-risk systems will begin in three years.
The AI Board, consisting of the 27 national regulators, will assist the AI Office in harmonizing the rules. The Board will hold its first meeting in June, attended by representatives from member states, which have twelve months to appoint a formal regulatory authority. Earlier this month, the Commission began further recruitment for the Office, calling for applications from experts in national administrations, as well as legal, policy, and technology experts.
Despite earlier claims that formal approval of the restructuring would take more time, the EU executive has greenlighted the appointments and units, which will take effect on 16 June. This swift action underscores the EU’s commitment to regulating AI and ensuring compliance with the new AI Act, aiming for a harmonized approach across all member states.
Source: AI Office set-up announced, Lucilla Sioli to be in charge
