Artificial Intelligence law at Finland
As of May 2025, Finland is actively implementing the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act), which entered into force on 1 August 2024. The Act introduces a risk-based regulatory framework for AI systems, aiming to ensure their safe and ethical deployment across the EU.(Hannes Snellman)
🇫🇮 Finland’s National Implementation of the EU AI Act
1. Legislative Preparation
Finland initiated the national implementation process in April 2024 through a working group led by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The group is tasked with evaluating the necessary national legislation and preparing a legislative proposal for Finland's compliance with the EU AI Act. The working group’s mandate extends until 30 June 2026, with the Finnish implementation act expected to enter into force on 2 August 2025. (Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriö, Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriö, Hannes Snellman)
2. Draft Government Proposal
On 25 October 2024, Finland published its draft government proposal regarding the implementation of the EU AI Act. The proposal outlines the designation of supervisory authorities, their powers to impose administrative fines and other penalties, and specifies national leeway. The draft was open for public consultation until 4 December 2024. (Hannes Snellman, Artificial Intelligence Act)
3. Supervisory Authorities
Under the draft proposal, Finland adopts a decentralized model for AI system supervision, designating several existing market surveillance authorities responsible for different sectors, such as product safety, road traffic, digital infrastructure, medical devices, and financial services. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) will act as the single point of contact under the AI Act and will be responsible for coordination. The Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman will also play a significant role in overseeing compliance with data protection legislation as it applies to AI systems. (Hannes Snellman, Global Practice Guides)
🧭 Ethical and Societal Considerations
Finland has established an AI ethics committee to ensure that AI development is human-oriented and based on trust. The committee's initiatives include:(AI Watch)
Setting up an AI ethics challenge to incentivize companies to contribute to the creation of ethical principles for AI.(AI Watch)
Preparing the foundations for ethical guidelines in the public administration's ecosystem-based AuroraAI programme.(AI Watch)
Continuing the research project on Ethical AI for the Governance of the Society (ETAIROS), funded by the Academy of Finland.(AI Watch)
Launching Helsinki’s AI register in partnership with the city of Amsterdam to track how algorithms are being used in municipalities.(AI Watch)
Offering an online course on the Ethics of AI to help public administration, businesses, and the general public understand the ethical use of AI.(AI Watch)
These efforts aim to promote transparency, reliability, and accountability in AI systems. (AI Watch)
🛠️ Support for Businesses and SMEs
To assist businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in navigating the EU AI Act, Finland, in collaboration with Denmark, is developing digital tools to explain and educate the industry on the AI Act, Data Act, and the European Health Data Space (EHDS) regulation. These tools are scheduled for release by the end of 2024 and will be available for free use by all Finnish industrial sectors throughout 2025. (fairedih.fi, HealthHub Finland)
Additionally, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra is launching an open and free online course on the AI regulation, aimed at both individuals and professionals. This course is part of the Basics of the Data Economy series and is scheduled for release on 12 March 2025. (Sitra)
✅ Summary
National Implementation: Finland is actively preparing for the national implementation of the EU AI Act, with a legislative proposal expected to enter into force on 2 August 2025.(Hannes Snellman)
Supervisory Authorities: A decentralized model has been proposed, designating several existing market surveillance authorities, with Traficom acting as the single point of contact.(Hannes Snellman)
Ethical Considerations: An AI ethics committee has been established to promote transparency, reliability, and accountability in AI systems.(AI Watch)
Support for Businesses: Digital tools and educational resources are being developed to assist businesses, especially SMEs, in understanding and complying with the EU AI Act.(fairedih.fi)
Finland's approach reflects a commitment to ensuring that AI technologies are developed and used in a manner that respects fundamental rights and ethical standards.
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