On February 11, 2025, the data protection authorities of the UK, Ireland, France, South Korea and Australia issued a joint statement on building trustworthy data governance frameworks to encourage development of innovative and privacy-protective artificial intelligence (“AI”) (the “Joint Statement”). In the Joint Statement, the DPAs recognize “the importance of supporting players in the AI ecosystem in their efforts to comply with data protection and privacy rules and help them reconcile innovation with respect for individuals’ rights.”

The Joint Statement refers to the “leading role” DPAs have in “shaping data governance” to address the evolving challenges of AI. Specifically, the Joint Statement indicates that the authorities will commit to:

• Foster a shared understanding of lawful grounds for processing personal data in the context of AI training.
• Exchange information and establish a shared understanding of proportionate safety measures, to be updated in line with evolving AI data processing activities.
• Monitor technical and societal impacts of AI.
• Reduce legal uncertainties and create opportunities for innovation where data processing is considered essential for AI.
• Strengthen interactions with other authorities to enhance consistency between different regulatory frameworks for AI systems, tools and applications, including those responsible for competition, consumer protection and intellectual property.

Read the full Joint Statement.