EU’s efforts to influence Asian governments on AI regulations

Senior EU officials actively encourage Asian countries to embrace their approach to AI, which entails implementing new and strict AI rules for tech companies. To push for this goal, the EU and its member states have sent representatives to participate in talks with at least 10 Asian countries, including India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and the Philippines. However, this lobbying efforts has met with a lukewarm reception as an increasing number of nations are opting for a wait-and-see tactic or a more flexible regulatory framework. Particularly, In an effort to regulate AI, Southeast Asian countries are developing voluntary rules, while Japan is leaning toward a more flexible approach.

While companies express concerns about potential harm to innovation and competitiveness due to EU regulations standards, EU officials maintain optimism about finding common ground with partners. In line with this, the G7 and the EU have urged the adoption of standards and proposed the establishment of a ‘Hiroshima AI process’ to promote trustworthy AI. Additionally, the EU has outlined plans to advance global cooperation on AI, with a particular focus on India, during the upcoming G20 meetings in 2023.