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Euronews
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Racial profiling still rife across the EU, Council of Europe says
Law enforcement officials across Europe continue to use racial profiling, the Council of Europe's human rights monitoring body (ECRI) has warned. In a report published on Wednesday, the ECRI said the practice — which see officials act on ethnic background, skin colour, religion or citizenship rather than objective evidence — persists both in stop-and-search policing and at border controls. "We've noticed that no member state of the Council of Europe is really immune when it comes to racial profiling," Bertil Cottier, chair of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), told Euronews. Experts are concerned about law enforcement agencies' plans to make extensive use of facial recognition technology. Adequate safeguards need to be introduced first, they say. Despite the strict European framework set out in the Artificial Intelligence Act, which came into force in August 2024, practices differ in various member states. French police, for example, have been routinely using facial recognition on the streets for many years, and Belgium is looking into systematically introducing the controversial technology for "tracking convicted and suspected offenders". The Council of Europe pointed to research indicating that such technology risks misidentifying individuals. "It is a concern for us. New technologies are always a problem when it comes to discrimination issues," said Cottier. "We fear that if new technologies are abused then it will enhance the problem." For this reason, the ECRI watches over emerging technologies. The Council of Europe has adopted a framework convention on AI and human rights. "One committee of the Council of Europe is dealing with anti-discrimination issues and is preparing a specific recommendation on the field of AI and discrimination," said Cottier. The ECRI report does not cite situations in specific countries. However, in the past, the body has published country-specific reports. In France, for example, the ECRI has long recommended that authorities introduce an effective system of recording identity checks by law enforcement officers. Last year, the Council of Europe organised a round table with the French authorities, police forces and NGOs to discuss the recommendation. "France is one country of concern when it comes to racial profiling," said Cottier. "But still we noticed a couple of months ago sadly that our recommendation on combating racial profiling — in particular on tracing the police officers who [incorrectly] stopped people — has been ignored so far," Cottier added. France's highest administrative court ruled in 2023 that the state was failing to deal with the widely documented practice of racial profiling by the police. NGOs have warned that the practice damages the relationship between the police and the public. So does the ECRI, which said in its report that "racial profiling generates a feeling of humiliation and injustice in society". "Such practices jeopardise the work of law enforcement officials who comply with the law and police ethics standards, and who are committed to combating racism and racial discrimination," the ECRI experts wrote. Italy is another country of concern. "During our visit to Italy we noticed some cases of racial profiling within the police forces. We made a recommendation to the Italian government to take this issue seriously," Cottier noted. Here, racial profiling by law enforcement especially targets Roma and people of African descent. An October 2024 report urged Italy to carry out an independent study to assess the level of racial profiling within its police forces. However, the Italian government hit back against it. Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, defended the 'men and women who, every day, work with dedication and self-sacrifice to ensure the safety of all citizens, without distinction". Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called the ECRI 'a useless body". Cottier regrets this response. "They had the impression that we denounced Italy and the Italian police by saying they committed racial profiling. In fact, we just asked the Italian government to assess the problem." The ECRI chair acknowledged that it is a delicate issue. "We don't want to counter the police. We know that we need them and we want to trust them. That's why it's sometimes very difficult to make states aware of this issue." The Council of Europe calls on all member states to take the issue of racial profiling seriously, prohibit it by law, better train police officers and hold police forces accountable. Heavy flooding in Romania's Harghita County — the worst in the past three decades — has led to critical conditions at the historical Praid salt mine, one of Europe's largest salt reserves and a major tourist attraction in the country, authorities said. According to County Prefect Petres Sandor, the inflow of water is uncontrollable. "We lost the fight with nature. The water has started to enter the salt mine again, with a flow that cannot be controlled at the moment," Sandor told local press. "Authorities will carry out an expertise as soon as possible to establish the condition of the walls, the pillars inside the mine, and to decide what to do next," he added. The Praid salt mine dates back to Roman times. In recent times, the attraction on the Via Transilvanica long-distance trail also served as a medical centre and a tourist destination, including an adventure park, a cinema, a small museum and other facilities, all located some 120 metres underground. The authorities are yet to determine the extent of the salt mine emergency and the impact of the flooding. "The situation is complicated. When water comes into contact with the salt, it immediately melts it and makes a hole," Sorin Rindasu, head of the Emergency Situations department in the Romanian Waters Administration, said. The flow of the Corund stream increased, resulting in the water further pouring into the mine, he added. Authorities say that although the situation is critical, the flooding will not destabilise the entire mine. "it would take quite a while for the water to dissolve so much salt inside to pose a problem of stability, we are talking about months, years, not days, weeks, in any case," Sandor said. In recent years, water leaks have already posed a problem to the mine, and authorities have carried out works to prevent infiltration. The Romanian government offered assistance to the region to deal with the emergency situation, and the ministry of economy assured the residents that it would make further investments to reduce the impact of the salt mine's flooding on Romanian tourism and reopen the mine for visitors.
TechCrunch
17-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Build, don't bind: Accel's Sonali De Rycker on Europe's AI crossroads
Sonali De Rycker, a general partner at Accel and one of Europe's most influential venture capitalists, is bullish about the continent's prospects in AI. But she's wary of regulatory overreach that could hamstring its momentum. At a TechCrunch StrictlyVC evening earlier this week in London, De Rycker reflected on Europe's place in the global AI race, balancing optimism with realism. 'We have all the pieces,' she told those gathered for the event. 'We have the entrepreneurs, we have the ambition, we have the schools, we have the capital, and we have the talent.' All that's missing, she argued, is the ability to 'unleash' that potential at scale. The obstacle? Europe's complex regulatory landscape and, in part, its pioneering but controversial Artificial Intelligence Act. De Rycker acknowledged that regulations have a role to play, especially in high-risk sectors like healthcare and finance. Still, she said she worries that the AI Act's broad reach and potentially stifling fines could deter innovation at the very moment European startups need space to iterate and grow. 'There's a real opportunity to make sure that we go fast and address what we're capable of,' she said. 'The issue is that we are also faced with headwinds on regulation.' The AI Act, which imposes stringent rules on applications deemed 'high risk,' from credit scoring to medical imaging, has raised red flags among investors like De Rycker. While the goals of ethical AI and consumer protection are laudable, she fears the net may be cast too wide, potentially discouraging early-stage experimentation and entrepreneurship. That urgency is amplified by shifting geopolitics. With U.S. support for Europe's defense and economic autonomy waning under the current Trump administration, De Rycker sees this moment as a decisive one for the EU. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW 'Now that Europe is being left to fend [for itself] in multiple ways,' she said. 'We need to be self-sufficient, we need to be sovereign.' That means unlocking Europe's full potential. De Rycker points to efforts like the '28th regime,'a framework aimed at creating a single set of rules for businesses across the EU, as crucial to creating a more unified, startup-friendly region. Currently, the mishmas of labor laws, licensing, and corporate structures across 27 countries creates friction and slows down progress. 'If we were truly one region, the power you could unleash would be incredible,' she said. 'We wouldn't be having these same conversations about Europe lagging in tech.' In De Rycker's view, Europe is slowly catching up—not just in innovation but in its cultural embrace of risk and experimentation. Cities like Zurich, Munich, Paris, and London are starting to generate their own self-reinforcing ecosystems thanks to top-tier academic institutions and a growing base of experienced founders. Accel, for its part, has invested in over 70 cities across Europe and Israel, giving De Rycker a front-row seat to the continent's fragmented but flourishing tech landscape. Still, on Tuesday night, she noted a stark contrast with the U.S. when it comes to adoption. 'We see a lot more propensity for customers to experiment with AI in the U.S.,' she said. 'They're spending money on these kinds of speculative, early-stage companies. That flywheel keeps going.' Accel's strategy reflects this reality. While the firm hasn't backed any of the major foundational AI model companies like OpenAI or Anthropic, it has focused instead on the application layer. 'We feel very comfortable with the application layer,' said De Rycker. 'These foundational models are capital intensive and don't really look like venture-backed companies.' Examples of promising bets include Synthesia, a video generation platform used in enterprise training, and Speak, a language learning app that recently jumped to a $1 billion valuation. De Rycker sees these as early examples of how AI can create entirely new behaviors and business models, not just incrementally improve existing ones. 'We're expanding total addressable markets at a rate we've never seen,' she said. 'It feels like the early days of mobile. DoorDash and Uber weren't just mobilized websites. They were brand new paradigms.' Ultimately, De Rycker sees this moment as both a challenge and a once-in-a-generation opportunity. If Europe leans too heavily into regulation, it risks stifling the innovation that could help it compete globally – not just in AI, but across the entire tech spectrum. 'We're in a supercycle,' she said. 'These cycles don't come often, and we can't afford to be leashed.' With geopolitical uncertainty rising and the U.S. increasingly inward-looking, Europe has little choice but to bet on itself. Whether it can do so without tying its own hands remains to be seen. But if the continent can strike the right balance, De Rycker believes it has everything it needs to lead, and not just follow, in the AI revolution. Asked by an attendee what EU founders can do to be more competitive with their U.S. counterparts, De Rycker didn't hesitate. 'I think they are competitive,' she said, citing companies Accel has backed, including Supercell and Spotify. 'These founders, they look no different.' You can catch catch the full conversation with De Rycker here :
New Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: AI-generated music: Unregulated development threat to music industry
KUALA LUMPUR: The Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) is sounding the alarm over the escalating threat posed by unregulated artificial intelligence (AI)-generated music to Malaysia's music industry. As AI technologies rapidly advance, RIM is calling for urgent attention and action from government regulatory bodies to address the serious implications for the local music scene. "While AI offers potential for enhancing creativity and production efficiency, its unregulated use poses a significant danger that could undermine the very foundation of Malaysia's vibrant music industry," said RIM chairman, Rosmin Hashim, in a statement today. A primary concern is copyright infringement, with AI generative models being trained on copyrighted music without proper authorisation. "Without clear regulations, human creators risk having their works exploited without consent or fair compensation. "We've recently seen this with AI-generated versions of Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza's 'Aku Cinta Padamu,' mimicking the vocals of Dayang Nurfaizah, which raises serious copyright issues and questions of ownership over these AI-generated songs," he added. The potential economic fallout is substantial. A global study commissioned by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) projects losses of 10 billion Euros to the music industry by 2028 due to AI-generated music. The study concluded that, under the current regulatory framework, human creators face a double threat: lost revenue from unauthorised use of their work by AI models, and displacement by AI-generated content competing with human-made creations. "These losses will impact everyone in the local music ecosystem, including songwriters, singers, musicians, and record companies, and will lead to significant job losses across the industry in the near future," Rosmin said. The rise of AI-generated music is already eroding royalties for human creators on streaming platforms. "For example, over 20,000 AI-generated tracks are being uploaded to Deezer daily, now accounting for approximately 18 per cent of their total music content. "If unchecked, AI-generated music will eventually overwhelm human-created content on these services, severely impacting the royalties earned by our artistes," he added. The global music industry is actively challenging AI companies to protect copyright holders. Cases include lawsuits by Universal Music Group, Concord, and ABKCO against Anthropic for training its AI chatbot, Claude, on lyrics from artistes like Beyonce and The Rolling Stones without permission, and a lawsuit by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on behalf of major labels against AI music generation services Suno and Udio. "A comprehensive legal framework is crucial in Malaysia to ensure that both AI companies and copyright holders can benefit from AI-generated music. "The EU has enacted the Artificial Intelligence Act, requiring AI developers to obtain permission for using copyrighted content in training. "The ELVIS Act in Tennessee protects individuals from unauthorized AI-generated likenesses. "Malaysia must now legislate similar safeguards to protect our copyright holders." RIM is urging Malaysian policymakers to enact legislation that protects human creativity and mandates transparency, requiring AI developers to disclose the copyrighted music used in training their models. "This will ensure that AI technologies are developed in a way that supports, rather than undermines, human creativity and our cultural heritage," said Rosmin.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Administration Pressures Europe to Ditch AI Rulebook
(Bloomberg) -- US President Donald Trump's administration is putting pressure on Europe to ditch a rulebook that would compel developers of advanced artificial intelligence to follow stricter standards of transparency, risk-mitigation and copyright rules. Why Car YouTuber Matt Farah Is Fighting for Walkable Cities Backyard Micro-Flats Aim to Ease South Africa's Housing Crisis Newsom Says California Is Now the World's Fourth-Biggest Economy Los Angeles Downgraded to AA- by S&P Due to Budget Woes To Fuel Affordable Housing, This Innovation Fund Targets Predevelopment Costs The US government's Mission to the EU reached out to the European Commission to push back against the AI code of practice in the last few weeks. The letter argues against the adoption of the code in its current form, and also went out to several European governments, people familiar with the matter said. In response to Bloomberg questions, commission spokesman Thomas Regnier confirmed the reception of the letter. While the code — which is still being finalized — is voluntary, it's meant to give tech companies a framework for staying in line with the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act. Running afoul of the AI Act carries fines of as much as 7% of a company's annual sales. Fines for the developers of advanced AI models can reach 3%. And not following the code could mean greater scrutiny from regulators. Critics have said the guidelines go beyond the bounds of the AI law, and create new, onerous regulations. Trump and the EU are increasingly clashing over the latter's role as the world's chief digital rule maker, and the President has lambasted the bloc's tech regulations and fines as unfairly targeting US companies. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan sent a volley of letters to EU leaders asking them to respond to his concerns that their policies were restricting Americans' free speech rights. Trump has said the bloc's tech regulations are 'a form of taxation,' in comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January. The US letter called the code excessively burdensome, and detailed its concerns about the code of practice, and the AI Act at large, one of the people said. The letter went as far as requesting that the EU put the entire AI Act's multi-phase implementation process — whose centerpiece is the code of practice hemming in powerful AI models — on hold unless the issues raised by the US are addressed, the person said, asking not to be identified because the letter isn't public. The government also made its technology experts available to EU officials for further clarifications, according to the person. Representatives for the United States Mission to the EU and the White House didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. The code of practice is being drafted by tech firms, copyright holders, and civil society representatives, under the stewardship of the EU's executive branch, the European Commission. The final version of the code will be presented next month, and adopted based on the opinions of EU institution and EU member countries' representatives. Speaking virtually at a Brussels event in February, Meta Platforms Inc.'s head of global affairs Joel Kaplan called the code of practice 'unworkable and infeasible,' adding that the company would not sign it in its present form. Alphabet Inc. has also criticized the rulebook and an executive said in an interview with Politico in February that guidelines calling for copyright or third-party model testing go too far. 'We have an administration in the United States that is prepared to help advance and and defend US technology and technology companies,' Kaplan said at the time. 'Obviously we're going to make sure that they understand what we experience.' An EU decision, earlier this week, to slap Apple Inc. and Meta with combined fines totaling €700 million ($798 million) for violating antitrust rules was slated as 'economic extortion' by Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the National Security Council in the White House. --With assistance from Jordan Fabian. (Updates with more details from US letter in sixth paragraph.) As More Women Lift Weights, Gyms Might Never Be the Same Why US Men Think College Isn't Worth It Anymore The Mastermind of the Yellowstone Universe Isn't Done Yet Eight Charts Show Men Are Falling Behind, From Classrooms to Careers India's 110% Car Tariffs Become Harder to Defend in Trump Era ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
Observer
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Populists versus bureaucrats
Populists love to hate bureaucracy. Alice Weidel, the leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland – now the country's second-strongest party – says that clueless European Union bureaucrats are destroying the bloc's free-market foundations. Santiago Abascal, who leads Spain's far-right Vox party, accuses the same bureaucrats of attempting to 'liquidate freedom", while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calls the EU an 'invasive bureaucratic giant.' Across the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump is dismantling a federal bureaucracy that he claims is rife with 'waste, fraud, and abuse,' and 'stifles personal freedom.' Bureaucracy, as they portray it, is the enemy of progress. The populists are wrong. As I pointed out at the recent Delphi Economic Forum, far from a sclerotic force destined to strangle innovation and liberty, bureaucracy forms the scaffolding for both. From drafting legislation and issuing permits to composing communications and coordinating crisis responses, bureaucrats carry out the mundane tasks that keep society functioning. Without them, economies would stall, the rule of law would collapse, and political visions would never be realised. Bureaucracy is, at its core, an exercise in rationality. As US president Woodrow Wilson pointed out, administration demands expertise – which is fundamentally neutral, not ideological – and thus exists outside the turbulent sphere of politics. For Max Weber, an intellectual titan in administrative theory, obedience to the impersonal, rules-based order that bureaucracy represents – rather than to charismatic individuals or entrenched traditions – is a mark of a society's maturity. But maturity implies patience, which populists notoriously lack. It took EU institutions more than 260 days to get the Recovery and Resilience Facility – a lifeline for struggling EU countries during the Covid-19 pandemic – from proposal to passage. The Artificial Intelligence Act took 1,199 days, and the Asylum Procedure Regulation nearly eight years. While these timelines could undoubtedly be shortened, crafting policies that balance the interests of 27 countries is an inescapably complicated affair requiring careful deliberation. In any case, the main source of delays is not EU bureaucrats, but the European Council's member governments and the European Parliament's elected politicians. None of this matters to populists. They paint pictures of lumbering giants, like those depicted at the Siphnian Treasury in Delphi. Just as the gods of Mount Olympus – with the help of the mortal Heracles – had to vanquish those power-hungry giants, so, too, must today's populist 'gods' defeat a monstrous bureaucracy that seeks dominion over all aspects of life. This is the vision that animates the Department of Government Efficiency, established by Trump and led by the world's richest person, Elon Musk. But far from crushing a dangerous foe, DOGE is destroying America's ability to confront the giants that actually threaten it, from climate change to technological disruption. These giants can be defeated only through the kind of disciplined, long-term coordination at which bureaucracy excels. Ironically, there could be no more compelling argument for the value of measured governance carried out by seasoned bureaucrats than DOGE's reckless gutting of America's state capacity. This has included the decimation of crucial agencies, such as the US Agency for International Development, and programmes ranging from lifesaving medical research to projects supporting teenagers with disabilities. While DOGE's approach has satisfied the populist hunger for daring over deliberation, it has also required a number of hasty reversals, including halting the firing of hundreds of federal employees working on America's nuclear-weapons programmes. And this is to say nothing of escalating privacy and security concerns, as DOGE staff access sensitive databases with virtually no oversight. Musk might have made much of his fortune in a sector known for 'moving fast and breaking things,' but the government is not a tech company. As many observers, including veteran Republican budget experts, have warned, DOGE's cuts – driven by ideology and self-interest, not pragmatism and the common good – are jeopardising public welfare. The same goes for Trump's reinstatement of Schedule F, which makes it easier to fire civil servants. This move threatens to politicise the federal workforce, making it less capable, as loyalty is rewarded over merit, and less equipped to fulfil its role as a critical source of continuity across administrations. The allure of political audacity is undeniable. When Trump issues ultimatums – to universities, trading partners, Nato allies, and others – he projects strength. When Meloni performs a foreign-policy balancing act – courting Trump while championing Western unity – she exudes pragmatism. When French far-right leader Marine Le Pen defies EU financial probes – much to Trump's delight – she appears dauntless. Such acts electrify supporters, replacing feelings of helplessness and stagnation with the thrill of brashness, the exhilaration of disruption and the promise of power. But good governance demands discipline, not spectacle. The EU's Competitiveness Compass, a strategic framework aimed at strengthening growth and innovation without sacrificing environmental goals, is a case in point. There is only one way to chart a credible path forward that accounts for multiple complex and competing goals – and it involves bureaucratic expertise, not a chain saw. None of this is to say that bureaucracies are above reproach. The EU's sluggish lawmaking and America's labyrinthine administrative system warrant scrutiny. But the solution is reform, not demolition. Streamlining regulations, as the EU's Omnibus packages seek to do, can enhance the bloc's agility. And measures that guarantee merit-based hiring and protect civil servants from political purges would support US efforts to improve governance. To defend bureaucracy is not to fetishise red tape, but to recognise the vital role it plays in making our societies work. In the fight against the 'giant' challenges we face, bureaucracy is Heracles, the flawed but knowledgeable ally that makes victory possible. To vilify it is to mistake the servant for the master, risking the very future we seek to reclaim. @Project Syndicate, 2025
