Irish presidency pushes EU rule to let AI firms use personal data without consent

What happened

• The draft would replace the need for consent with a presumed legitimate interest for AI training.
• The proposal is being circulated among EU member states with support from Germany and other governments.
• It is currently with the Council and has not yet been adopted.

Why it matters

If adopted, any organisation developing or deploying AI in the EU could process historic personal data without obtaining consent, exposing firms to heightened privacy risk and potential challenges under existing GDPR principles.

Business impact

Businesses that rely on AI models would face reduced compliance burdens for data collection but could encounter increased scrutiny from data‑subject groups and national data‑protection authorities.