European Parliament Bans Built-in AI Tools
The European Parliament has suspended and banned built-in AI tools, such as writing assistants, on work devices for lawmakers and staff. The decision cites mounting cybersecurity and data privacy risks, particularly the potential exposure of sensitive parliamentary data to external vendors. The features have been disabled pending a full data protection review and further policy clarification.
- The specific tools disabled include writing and summarizing assistants, enhanced virtual assistants, and webpage summary features on both tablets and phones. The Parliament's IT support desk noted that some of these AI tools were sending data to external cloud servers for tasks that the devices could have handled locally. - This action is consistent with previous digital security measures from the European Parliament, which included a ban on staff devices using TikTok in 2023 and a push by some lawmakers in November 2025 to replace Microsoft software with a European alternative. - The internal email announcing the ban also urged lawmakers and staff to apply similar caution on their personal devices used for work, advising them not to expose work-related documents or emails to AI features that scan or analyze content. - This internal restriction contrasts with broader European public adoption, as Eurostat data from December 2025 showed that 32.7% of EU residents aged 16-74 had used generative AI tools that year. - The move comes as the broader EU AI Act is being implemented in phases between August 2024 and August 2027, which will establish comprehensive regulations for AI systems based on their level of risk. - The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has been actively issuing guidance on AI, emphasizing the need to embed privacy and risk-management into AI governance from the start, rather than treating it as a compliance checklist after the fact. - This decision reflects a wider EU strategy to bolster digital sovereignty and reduce reliance on foreign technology providers, a concern that has led to increased investment in European AI startups and cloud infrastructure. - The EDPS and the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) have expressed concerns that simplifying AI Act implementation could weaken fundamental rights, opposing proposals that would reduce obligations for AI literacy among staff.
