ABOUT THE PROJECT

The main objective of the project is to develop a legal and conceptual framework for the establishment and operation of a national regulatory sandbox for AI, which will allow new technologies and business models in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) to be tested in real life. The project will particularly focus on how users and markets react to new technologies and on measuring how well innovations work.

Public reaction to AI innovations will also be an important aspect of the research work. The establishment of the regulatory  sandbox will provide insights into the effects of existing national and international regulation, and in particular EU law, in the field of AI and identification of necessary supplements or amendments to the existing regulatory framework. One of the key objectives of the project is also to identify stakeholders involved in the process of testing new technologies in the regulatory sandbox, such as authorities and organisations with high decision-making powers in relation to the regulatory sandbox. Establishing an open dialogue between all affected stakeholders and building trust between them is key. In addition, the project aims to establish a robust legal framework for the regulatory sandbox, allowing innovations to be tested within the existing legal framework and identifying potential legal obstacles, while fully respecting, in particular, human rights and environmental regulation, and allowing and encouraging innovation that ensures competitiveness and adequately addresses liability issues. The legal documents governing the process of sandbox activities will be developed considering the conditions of application, drafting the Rules of Participation, establishing the criteria for the selection of participants and providing a draft model of the necessary reports. It is important that the AI regulatory sandboxes operate according to the principles of proportionality, subsidiarity and precaution. The substantive and legal framework being put in place by this project will also allow for the evaluation of the impact of the regulatory sandbox and provide relevant and objective information on results. In this context, it is important to engage with all relevant stakeholders, including governmental and non-governmental bodies and organisations and industry, as well as to engage in relevant international discussions and processes. The project will contribute to the development of research and development capacity in the field of AI in Slovenia. The interdisciplinarity of the research team is also an important aspect for the implementation of this project, and the collaboration between universities, research institutes and companies will allow the exchange of knowledge, experience and best practices, contributing to the advancement of AI and the strengthening of the scientific research community. The project will contribute to increasing international cooperation and  visibility of Slovenia in the field of AI regulation and development (specifically in the area of legal and substantive regulation of AI regulatory sandboxes).

Active cooperation with European institutions and the organisation of various dissemination events will allow the exchange of experiences and best practices and raise awareness among professionals and the wider public.

More on the project website: https://www.ai-sandbox.si/

Grant agreement number: V5-24064
Duration: 1. 10. 2024 – 30. 9. 2026