Irish Examiner view: Big Tech’s cavalier push of AI requires regulation

Surely the concept of paying for usage is not beyond Big Tech and it is not too much to ask that some regulatory body gets the powers to make sure that the biggest companies in the world pay their way 

The AI revolution happened because of technology companies’ scraping of copyrighted art and text.

It is often said that the US innovates, China replicates, and the EU regulates. In all branches of tech, Europe’s role as the watchdog is vital, and Ireland’s role given the homes so many multinationals make here makes it in turn essential.

Personal data is one of the key things to protect. Just yesterday, the Microsoft-owned social network LinkedIn was fined €310m by Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner over processing user data for targeted ads. An eyewatering sum by any standard, even in the sea of money that is Big Tech, it’s an important reminder that regulation is there for a reason.