Michèle Finck has just published a new article on the research exemptions in the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. This piece explores 
one of the most complex and under-examined aspects of the EU AI Act — its research exemptions. These provisions were designed to ensure that AI research and innovation can flourish without excessive regulatory burdens. However, as I argue in the article, the exemptions are  ambiguous and difficult to apply in practice, leaving researchers uncertain about when their work falls within or outside the Act’s scope.

This means that the “lost research exemption” may not provide the safe space for research that the legislators envisioned. Michèle call for  clearer interpretive guidance to ensure the AI Act truly supports innovation while maintaining accountability.

You can read the article in open access here.