Cybersecurity & Tech

The Lawfare Podcast: Itsiq Benizri on the EU AI Act

Eugenia Lostri, Itsiq Benizri, Jen Patja
Friday, February 16, 2024, 8:00 AM
Discussing how the European Union's new AI Act came about and what comes next

Published by The Lawfare Institute
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The EU has finally agreed to its AI Act. Despite the political agreement reached in December 2023, some nations maintained some reservations about the text, making it uncertain whether there was a final agreement or not. They recently reached an agreement on the technical text, moving the process closer to a successful conclusion. The challenge now will be effective implementation.

To discuss the act and its implications, Lawfare Fellow in Technology Policy and Law Eugenia Lostri sat down with Itsiq Benizri, counsel at the law firm WilmerHale Brussels. They discussed how domestic politics shaped the final text, how governments and businesses can best prepare for new requirements, and whether the European act will set the international roadmap for AI regulation.

You can listen to Eugenia’s October conversation about approaches to AI regulation with Itsiq and Arianna Evers here


Eugenia Lostri is a Senior Editor at Lawfare. Prior to joining Lawfare, she was an Associate Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She also worked for the Argentinian Secretariat for Strategic Affairs, and the City of Buenos Aires’ Undersecretary for International and Institutional Relations. She holds a law degree from the Universidad Católica Argentina, and an LLM in International Law from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Itsiq Benizri is a counsel at WilmerHale Brussels, where he focuses his practice on EU AI and data law. Mr. Benizri regularly represents clients in several cutting-edge data protection appeals before the EU Courts. He is qualified as an AI Governance Professional (AIGP) and Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
Jen Patja is the editor and producer of the Lawfare Podcast and Rational Security. She currently serves as the Co-Executive Director of Virginia Civics, a nonprofit organization that empowers the next generation of leaders in Virginia by promoting constitutional literacy, critical thinking, and civic engagement. She is the former Deputy Director of the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier and has been a freelance editor for over 20 years.

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