18-03-2020 09:30
AI and Blockchain: opportunities and challenges for the Single Market

ANTALL, 6Q2
Global communication technology and telecommunication financial network around planet Earth. Blockchain and cryptocurrency concept with copyspace
Artificial intelligence and blockchain © used under the licence of shutterstock.com

The aim of the hearing is to explore the opportunities and challenges that two new technologies – artificial intelligence and blockchain – present for the single market. The hearing was made up of two panels of experts: the first dealing with the use of AI tools in the services sector; the second dealing with the potential of blockchain to improve product safety.


The AI panel addressed questions like the following: To what extent does the EU's regulatory framework for services need to be adapted? Are the transparency obligations in the e-Commerce Directive adequate in the age of AI-algorithms? Are EU rules for AI-powered professional services adequate to ensure the protection of consumers?

The Blockchain panel addressed questions like the following: What role could blockchain play in the EU's product safety framework, for example making market surveillance and traceability of products more effective? Can DLTs improve the quality and accessibility of product information for consumers? What role can standardisation play in ensuring interoperability of DLTs and avoiding fragmentation and technical barriers within the single market?