The ongoing AI-regulation debate in the EU and its influence on the emerging economies: a new case for the ‘Brussels Effect’?
Shu Li, Béatrice Schütte, Suvi Sankari · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · 2023
Over decades, the EU has become a global regulatory power. This phenomenon is called the ‘Brussels Effect’. It evolved from an initially unintentional side-effect of regulatory capacity into a more conscious external agenda. We can observe these external effects of EU regulatory efforts in relation to the digital economy. The adoption of the GDPR obliged businesses around the world to adapt their data protection practices to the requirements enshrined in it. Currently, the EU is stimulating the debate on establishing high-end and future-proof AI-regulation. The ongoing policy development will likely have an impact outside the EU. In this contribution, we will explore how the Brussels Effect in the sphere of AI regulation would influence the Global South when designing their regulatory approaches. More importantly, we will discuss how countries in the Global South can find their own path without being marginalised or falling into the trap of techno-colonialism.