Artificial Intelligence law at Albania
Albania is actively integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its legal and regulatory frameworks, particularly in the context of its European Union (EU) accession process. The Albanian government has initiated several projects to utilize AI for aligning its legislation with EU standards, aiming to expedite the transposition of EU laws and enhance public administration efficiency.(Euronews)
🇦🇱 Albania's AI-Driven Legal Alignment with the EU
1. AI-Powered Legislative Transposition
In December 2023, Albania launched an AI initiative to facilitate the alignment of its laws with the EU acquis. The National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI) opened a tender for a project titled "Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Process of Transposing the Acquis for European Integration," with a budget of approximately €2.6 million. The project's objectives include:(Euronews)
Implementing AI technologies in public institutions to accelerate the transposition of EU legislation.
Employing Natural Language Processing (NLP) to automate the categorization, filtering, and translation of EU legal acts.
Comparing existing Albanian laws with EU regulations to identify gaps and inconsistencies.
Providing a digital platform accessible to all stakeholders involved in the legislative process.(Euronews)
This initiative aims to streamline the legislative harmonization process and reduce administrative burdens. (European Newsroom)
2. Collaboration with AI Experts
Prime Minister Edi Rama revealed that Albania is collaborating with Mira Murati, an Albanian-American engineer and the Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The collaboration focuses on leveraging AI to align approximately 280,000 pages of EU legal documents with Albanian legislation. This approach seeks to minimize the need for extensive human resources traditionally required for such tasks. (Balkan Insight, Albanian Daily News)
3. EU's Perspective and Reservations
While the EU has acknowledged Albania's innovative approach, it has expressed reservations regarding the reliance on AI for legislative alignment. The European Commission emphasized that AI applications can assist in tasks like translating and comparing legislation but cannot replace the essential human expertise needed to fully align with and implement EU laws. The Commission highlighted the importance of building local capacity and knowledge in candidate countries. (Politiko)
⚖️ Legal and Ethical Considerations
Albania's AI initiatives are being developed within the framework of the Council of Europe's "Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law Framework Convention," adopted on May 17, 2024. This convention outlines principles for the design, development, and use of AI systems, emphasizing:(DPA)
Protection of human rights and personal data.
Transparency and accountability in AI systems.
Risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
Prior testing of AI systems before deployment.(DPA)
Albania's adherence to this convention underscores its commitment to ensuring that AI integration aligns with democratic values and legal standards.
🔮 Looking Ahead
Albania aims to complete the alignment of its legislation with EU standards by 2027, with the goal of full EU membership by 2030. The integration of AI into this process is seen as a strategic move to expedite legal harmonization and demonstrate Albania's readiness for EU accession.
In summary, Albania is pioneering the use of AI in legislative processes to facilitate EU integration. While the approach has garnered attention for its innovation, it also raises important questions about the balance between technological solutions and the need for human expertise in legal and regulatory affairs.
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