Setting ‘harmonised standards’ for artificial intelligence is a crucial element of the EU’s recent AI Act. But who develops these standards? Corporate Europe Observatory reveals how Europe’s standard-setting bodies dealing with AI are heavily skewed towards the tech industry. Behind closed doors, corporations are writing rules that will govern their own AI products – including on how to prevent fundamental rights violations of European citizens.

With little to no transparency, private standard-setting organisations are writing rules that have legal status in the EU. Independent experts and civil society are out-numbered, under-funded, and struggling in the face of the corporate dominance.