Spotlight on Women in AI: An Interview with Eva Maydell, Member of European Parliament and EU AI Act Advisor
To give AI-focused women academics and others their well-deserved — and overdue — time in the spotlight, TechCrunch is launching a series of interviews focusing on remarkable women who’ve contributed to the AI revolution. We’ll publish several pieces throughout the year as the AI boom continues, highlighting key work that often goes unrecognized. Read more profiles here.
Eva Maydell is a Bulgarian politician and a member of European Parliament. First elected to Parliament in 2014 at age 28, she was the youngest member serving at the time. In 2019, Maydell was re-elected to Parliament, where she continues to serve on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE).
Maydell was the ITRE rapporteur for the EU AI Act, the proposed legal framework to govern the sale and use of AI in the European Union, and as such was in charge of drafting a report on the proposal of the European Commission — reflecting the opinion of ITRE members. Maydell — in consultation with outside experts and stakeholders — was also responsible for drafting compromise amendments.
When I first became a member of the European Parliament, I was one of the few young female members of European Parliament (MEPs) that worked on tech issues. I’ve always been passionate about how Europe can better leverage the huge opportunities of tech innovation. The great thing about working on tech is that you’re always looking to the future. Having worked on cybersecurity, semiconductors and the digital agenda throughout my time in the Parliament, I knew I would find working on the AI Act incredibly interesting and be able to utilise my experience in those areas on this world first piece of regulation.
My pride for the work we’ve accomplished on the AI Act is immense. We’ve established a unified European vision for AI’s future — a future that envisions AI as more democratic, secure, and innovative. While protection and preparation for worst-case scenarios and risks are inevitably the focus of regulators and parliaments, I’ve staunchly advocated for the importance of competitiveness. This has meant advocating for research and open-source exemption, endorsing a bold approach to regulatory sandboxes, and striving for alignment with our international counterparts to lessen market friction.
Slowly but surely, we’re seeing a rise in the number of women in the tech and AI industry. I’m surrounded by female peers and friends in the tech industry who display incredible talent, enforcing and driving the tech agenda. The network of support we offer each other is invaluable. I feel welcomed by the AI community, making my experience working in this field all the more enjoyable and interesting.
The advice I’d like to offer women considering entering this field is: go for it right now! Be confident, stay true to yourself, and don’t feel the need to fit into any preconceived mould. Everyone has unique contributions to make. The more women share their ideas, vision, and voice, the more they inspire other women to make the leap into the world of tech. I find it genuinely heartening to witness so many women showing interest in this industry whenever I interact with student groups or young MEPs — you can sense a shift taking place.
The biggest challenge for any politician involved with tech and AI is to predict and prepare for the future with absolute accuracy. Regardless of the extensive research, data and statistics, there’s always an element of crystal ball gazing. The salient issues politicians will need to confront include:
What can this technology do to make our economies more efficient while providing broader societal benefits? Additionally, how do we prevent AI from fostering false information? Finally, how can we establish global rules ensuring that AI development and utilization adheres to democratic norms?
AI represents a significant challenge as it can easily be exploited to spread false information and deepfakes. As this year will see half the global population voting, this point becomes of utmost importance. We must scrutinize the images, videos, and articles we find for possible manipulation, becoming more cautious as technology advances. This problem is one I am heavily invested in researching at present.
If we aspire to a future where AI enriches our lives and helps tackle our most daunting challenges, one element is crucial: trust. We must put our faith in these technological advancements.
Complacency is something we cannot afford. The enactment of AI legislation doesn’t mean our work ends. We must constantly question what comes next — this doesn’t necessarily lead to increased regulatory measures. However, it certainly implies that we need to keep a watchful eye on the larger framework — assessing how AI and its regulations impact our economy, security, and lives.
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