Members of the European Parliament discuss AI Act Implementation at ELLIS Unit Alicante
Alicante, February 26, 2025 – A delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) met with researchers at ELLIS Unit Alicante to discuss the implementation of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. The session focused on key regulatory challenges, including AI security, ethical risks, and best practices to ensure AI aligns with European values.
The EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) first proposed in April 2021 and officially adopted in March 2024, aims to balance the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence through regulation. The JURI delegation, led by Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew Europe), Maravillas Abadía Jover (European People’s Party), and Leire Pajín (European Socialist Party), visited ELLIS Unit Alicante to gather insights on the latest AI research and its societal impact. Their objective is to ensure the new legal framework fosters AI development while maintaining high ethical, security, and human rights standards.
The meeting was led by Nuria Oliver, Director of ELLIS Unit Alicante and Vice President of ELLIS Europe, who presented the Unit's pioneering research on AI for Social Good. Discussions centered on the Security Report and General-Purpose AI Code of Practice, two key instruments under development to guide the practical application of the AI Act.
ELLIS Unit Alicante researchers shared insights on critical AI challenges, including algorithmic bias, privacy risks, opaque decision-making, and the societal influence of AI-driven automation. As part of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) network, ELLIS Alicante is the only Unit solely dedicated to responsible and ethical AI research.
This visit underscores the European Parliament’s commitment to ensuring AI development in the EU is ethical, safe, and aligned with fundamental human rights. Engaging with research institutions like ELLIS Unit Alicante is a crucial step toward establishing a robust regulatory framework that maximizes AI’s potential while mitigating risks for European citizens.
