On May 26 and 27, part of the Windat team attended the International Privacy Congress organized by the Spanish Professional Privacy Association (APEP) and it was much more than attending a sectoral event: it was experiencing first-hand the turning point in which our profession finds itself in the face of the emergence of artificial intelligence.
The aim of the conference was clear: to reflect on the future of personal data in the age of AI. But what has become clearer is that this future is already here, and that the
The decisions we make today, both in terms of regulation and business practice, will determine whether this technology is oriented towards trust or surveillance.
From our office we see every day how many companies still see privacy as a burden. But AI, with its ability to process massive data, has made it clear that data protection is not only a right, but a strategic necessity. Avoiding improper use, ensuring the transparency of automated systems, offering guarantees to users... is no longer optional: it is the condition for being able to operate legitimately in the digital market.
The debate on how to marry the GDPR with the new European regulation on artificial intelligence shows the extent to which we need a coordinated approach. We cannot demand clear accountability for opaque systems. Nor can we talk about trust if we are not able to audit algorithms, explain them or offer efficient complaint channels.
In this context, the role of advisory firms is more relevant than ever. Not only to ensure legal compliance, but to help organizations build an ethical and sustainable framework for the use of technology. It is necessary to integrate privacy from design, carry out impact assessments that are not just a formality, and generate an internal culture about the risks associated with automation.
The congress has served to confirm that the sector is maturing, that there is an active, critical and committed professional community. And also to see that we are not alone: the
Institutions, the business community and civil society share concerns about the direction AI will take. We need rigor, but also courage.
Artificial intelligence is not incompatible with data protection. The real challenge is to make them compatible with criteria, with vision and with responsibility. And on this path, those of us who work in privacy have a lot to say… and a lot to do.
