The EU Ombudsman will review the appointment of the head of Siemens as a special representative for industrial AI

The European Ombudsman launched an investigation following a complaint from four non-governmental organizations about the appointment of Siemens Supervisory Board Chairman Jim Hagemann Snabe as the European Commission's special representative for industrial artificial intelligence. NGOs fear that his connections with technology companies could call into question the independence of this work, Tech-news reports with reference to Kazinform.

The European Ombudsman demanded that the European Commission explain the circumstances surrounding the appointment of Jim Hagemann Snabe as special representative for industrial AI. The reason was a complaint from the organizations Corporate Europe Observatory, Transparency International EU, LobbyControl and Good Lobby.

On June 10, NGOs sent a joint letter to the European Commission, in which they drew attention to Snabe’s continued involvement in the work of companies related to artificial intelligence, infrastructure and related technologies. According to the organizations, such connections may create a conflict of interest and affect the independence of the special representative.

The organizations did not receive a response from the European Commission and then turned to the European Ombudsman. Now the commission must respond to the stated claims by September 29.

Snabe, who heads Siemens' supervisory board, took on the new position in June. It will operate free of charge until March 31, 2027.

As part of this work, Snabe must prepare a report on the development of AI infrastructure, advanced technologies and the use of artificial intelligence in industry.

The appointment has already raised questions due to Snabe's connection to Siemens. The company previously participated in lobbying activities around the regulation of artificial intelligence in the EU, including advocating for the easing of certain requirements of European rules.

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