On 13 January, the Cabinet of Ministers approved regulations developed by the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development, which establish the procedure by which the Artificial Intelligence Centre organises a special regulatory environment and ensures the processing of personal data for the development, testing and advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development Raimonds Čudars:
“The development of artificial intelligence requires more than a clear and strict legal framework – it is equally important to create an environment that supports innovators and encourages the practical testing of new solutions. The special regulatory environment enables entrepreneurs and researchers to test their AI solutions in a safe and supervised setting while receiving support from competent authorities. This gives Latvian companies the opportunity to develop competitive, reliable and market-ready AI solutions, strengthening both our economy and the country’s capacity to leverage the benefits of artificial intelligence in areas such as education, healthcare and security.”
The special regulatory environment has been established as a controlled and secure framework that allows new or significantly improved AI solutions to be tested prior to their placement on the market or implementation in public administration. It enables the testing of innovative solutions while maintaining high standards of safety, personal data protection and the public interest.
Director of the Artificial Intelligence Centre Guna Puce:
“Latvia’s competitiveness in the field of artificial intelligence will depend on whether we are able to create an environment in which innovations can safely reach real-world applications. The special regulatory environment will allow new AI systems to be tested within a clear compliance framework, with access to consultations and, where necessary, under the supervision of responsible authorities. The task of the Artificial Intelligence Centre is to make this path shorter, clearer and safer, so that solutions developed in Latvia are reliable, responsible and export-ready.”
Within the special regulatory environment, project implementers will have access to consultations on compliance of AI solutions with regulatory requirements, as well as the opportunity to work with data required for development and testing in a secure environment. In certain cases, AI solutions may be tested under the supervision of responsible authorities by applying specific conditions that differ from the existing regulatory framework.
Project selection within the regulatory environment may be organised through either open or restricted calls, taking into account demand, risk level and the maturity of AI systems. A separate regulatory environment will be established for each project through an individual administrative decision.
If access to personal data held by public authorities is required for the development or testing of an AI system, the Central Statistical Bureau will provide a secure data processing environment. Compliance of personal data processing with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation will be supervised by the Data State Inspectorate throughout all stages of the project – from the assessment of the required data scope to the deletion of data after the completion of AI solution testing.
The special regulatory environment will enable AI solutions to be tested safely and efficiently prior to their implementation, ensuring a clear compliance framework and coordinated support. The Artificial Intelligence Centre plans to launch the first call for projects in the second half of February. For further information, please contact info@ailatvia.lv.