The Spanish Council of Ministers has passed a Royal Decree that allows registration for artificial intelligence system providers and users to participate in a regulatory sandbox. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation will have the authority to launch the sandbox. 

This move follows the announcement of the opening of the pre-registration phase about a month ago.

Registration for the AI sandbox is expected to open in the upcoming days in Spain.

AI sandbox

AI is evolving at a very rapid pace, outpacing the regulatory environment. 

This pilot project led by Spain and backed by the European Commission aims to address this issue by providing a controlled environment for the development of new AI technologies. 

The AI regulatory sandbox aims to: 

  • clarify upcoming EU AI Act requirements; 
  • facilitate exchange of compliance-related technical knowledge; 
  • promote innovation and the development of safe AI systems; and
  • provide guidelines to help AI system providers and users to become aware and start preparing for the forthcoming regulatory changes. 

The AI sandbox will set forth a selection and admission protocol for AI system providers and users, and will be overseen by an Advisory Committee of Experts.

According to the Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Ms Nadia Calviño, registration for the AI sandbox will open in the next few days in Spain.

AI guidelines

As discussed in our previous post, this AI sandbox pilot project is expected to culminate 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 spokesperson of the Spanish Government has highlighted that the opening for participation in the AI sandbox marks another significant step in Spain’s ambition to become a global leader in AI governance.

As discussed in our previous posts, 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. Additionally, Spain has established the first AI supervisory authority in the EU. 

Looking ahead

The launch of the AI sandbox registration is expected to be announced in the coming days. This initiative reflects Spain’s proactive approach towards preparing for the AI Act's eventual implementation and ensuring that AI technologies are developed and used safely.

If you are considering to apply for registration or would like to know more about the AI sandbox, let us know and we will help you in the process.