The Impact of Ibán García del Blanco: A European AI Negotiator’s Triumph

Ibán García del Blanco: The Spaniard Behind Europe’s Historic AI Law

Ibán García del Blanco, a member of the European Parliament, can now be considered a part of European history. As the sole Spaniard involved in the marathon closed-door negotiations in December, which lasted almost 37 hours, he played a crucial role in shaping the world’s first comprehensive artificial intelligence law. This groundbreaking regulation focuses on preventing foundational models of generative AI from violating fundamental rights, particularly those that pose a systemic risk. In an interview with EL PAÍS in Brussels, García del Blanco emphasized the urgency of reaching this agreement, stating that “it was now or never.” The law is currently undergoing final wording and translation into the 24 official languages of the EU, with the aim of ratification before the European elections in June.