GDPR-compliant? Perfect! How your data protection strategy prepares you for the AI Act.
Learn how the AI Act and the GDPR interact. Use your existing data protection strategy as the perfect foundation for the new EU AI regulation.
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The AI Act is not a new, unknown world
The announcement of a new EU regulation initially causes many companies to frown. New rules, new obligations, new efforts. However, there is reassuring news regarding the EU AI Act: If you have taken the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) seriously, you are already well-prepared for the new era of AI.
Your investments in GDPR-compliant processes were not a one-time effort. They were a strategic preparation. Because the AI Act and the GDPR share the same foundation: the protection of fundamental rights and European values. In many ways, the AI Act is a specification of the GDPR for the specific application of artificial intelligence.
The strong synergies between the AI Act and the GDPR
Both regulatory frameworks are closely related and often pursue identical goals. The principles that you already know from the GDPR are also reflected in the AI Act.
Accountability: Just as you must demonstrate under the GDPR that you process data lawfully, the AI Act requires comprehensive documentation and risk assessment for AI systems.
Fairness & Transparency: The obligation for transparency in data processing (GDPR) is extended in the AI Act to the interaction with the AI itself. Fairness and the avoidance of discrimination are core mandates in both regulations.
Human Oversight: The right not to be subject to solely automated decisions (GDPR Art. 22) is echoed in the AI Act's demand for effective human oversight, especially in high-risk systems.
The "compliance muscle" that your company built for the GDPR does not need to be retrained. It can be directly reused for the new requirements.
From the DPIA to the FRIA: Utilizing familiar processes
A perfect example of this synergy is the handling of risk assessments. The Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) that you must conduct under the GDPR for high-risk processing operations is the direct template for the Fundamental Rights Impact Assessment (FRIA) required by the AI Act.
The organizational structures and processes that you established for the GDPR – such as data governance, risk assessment, or the role of a data protection officer – are directly transferable to the requirements of the AI Act. Previous costs thus become a current strategic advantage.
Why a GDPR-compliant provider is key
The close connection between both laws makes the choice of your AI provider all the more important. A provider that has done its GDPR homework offers you a solid and trustworthy basis for the future.
Providers like Safina AI, which already demonstrate GDPR compliance and hosting in Germany, create a foundation on which the AI Act requirements can be securely built. They do not view the European legal framework as a foreign language they need to learn but as their native operating system.
Your robust data protection strategy is thus the best preparation for the era of artificial intelligence. It is proof that your company takes the protection of data and fundamental rights seriously – and that is the core message of the EU AI Act.
