Switzerland: Announced inquiry into the possible approaches to the regulation of artificial intelligence

On 22 November 2023, the Swiss Federal Council announced an inquiry into the possible approaches to the regulation of artificial intelligence. The Council aims to leverage the benefits of AI while mitigating societal risks. In pursuit of this goal, the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) has been tasked with developing an overview of potential regulatory frameworks for artificial intelligence. This overview is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. The analysis will be based on current Swiss legislation and will identify regulatory approaches compatible with both the EU's AI Regulation (AI Act) and the Council of Europe's AI Convention.