Vittorio Colao defends copyright rules and the DSA in Europe’s AI debate

Vittorio Colao, the former chief executive of Vodafone and currently vice chairman for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at General Atlantic, spoke at Wave by Vento in Turin about AI regulation in Europe. According to the report, he said that regulation is holding back AI in Europe, but added that it must be assessed rule by rule rather than as a single body of law. He defended copyright rules and the Digital Services Act.

Colao described the EU AI Act as 'good intentions, too complicated to implement.' The report presents that phrase as his verdict on the Act, alongside his defence of copyright rules and the Digital Services Act. It does not specify which provisions of the AI Act he considered difficult to implement, which copyright rules he supported, or which rules he would prefer to see changed.

The comments were made at Wave by Vento, an event held in Turin. It does not state whether Colao proposed amendments to the EU AI Act, nor whether he named an alternative approach to the rules he criticised. No further detail on the event or on other speakers is included.