Spain: pre-registration now open for AI sandbox

The Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation has announced the pre-registration opening for artificial intelligence (AI) system providers and users to participate in a regulatory sandbox. Companies can now apply to participate in the AI sandbox scheme to test their innovative products.

AI sandbox

AI is evolving at a very rapid pace

, and the regulatory environment has struggled to keep up.

This pilot project led by Spain and supported by the European Commission aims to address this issue by providing a controlled environment for the development of new AI technologies until the proposed EU AI Act enters into force.

The AI regulatory sandbox aims to provide guidelines to help AI system providers and users to become aware and start preparing for the forthcoming regulatory changes. It also mitigates the risks posed to the security, health, and fundamental rights of the users.

Pre-registration for the AI sandbox is now open in Spain.

Eligibility requirements

As discussed

in our previous post, AI system providers and users interested in participating in the AI sandbox must meet specific eligibility criteria.

The sandbox will only be opened to Spain-established providers and users of AI systems that could potentially pose risks to the security, health, and fundamental rights of their users. This includes high-risk AI systems, including in the areas of biometric identification and general-purpose AI, such as ChatGPT.

The number of participants for each submission call will be limited, with preference given to the most innovative, complex, socially impactful, and mature AI systems.

AI guidelines

This AI sandbox pilot project aims to result in a report detailing best practices, lessons learned, and technical application guidelines based on the practical experimentation within the AI sandbox.

This report is expected to help shape EU-wide guidelines and ease the regulatory compliance burden on companies.

Spain’s governance in AI

The opening for participation in the AI sandbox marks another significant step in Spain’s efforts to shape AI governance in the EU. As discussed in our previous post, the Spanish government has stated that one of its main goals under its presidency of the Council of the EU is to reach a deal on the AI Act before the end of 2023.

Spain has also established the first AI supervisory authority in the EU. The Spanish Artificial Intelligence Supervisory Agency is expected to be operational within three months.

Looking ahead

With the pre-registration opening for participation in Spain's AI sandbox, Spain prepares for the eventual implementation of the AI Act. Once again, this reflects Spain’s proactive approach to ensure that AI technologies are developed and used safely.

If you would like to know more about the AI sandbox and the eligibility criteria, let us know and we will help you in the process.