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E.DSO Internal Workshop on Artificial intelligence (AI) and GDPR from DSOs lenses: Challenges, Opportunities and Solutions

12 March 2021, 9:30-11:30

On 12 March 2021, E.DSO held an internal workshop tackling various aspects pertaining to the interaction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with General Data Protection Regulation, and their applicability to the work of Distribution system Operators (DSOs).

The keynote speech was delivered by Ms Karolina Mojzesowicz, Deputy Head of Unit Data Protection at European Commission, who stressed that the question concerning how well the GDPR addresses the challenges posed by AI to privacy and data protection will have to be considered under the lenses of fundamental rights. GDPR is well equipped to disruptively challenge actual or potential undesirable uses and applications of AI.

Invited as a Guest Speaker, Mr Alain Strowel, Professor at UCLouvain and Attorney at Pierstone, stressed that as fascinating as the technological innovation is, the central role played by DSOs via the analysis of large amounts of “personal and non- personal data”, shall rely on the EU legislative package, namely: GDPR, Open Data Directive, Trade Secrets Directive and Free Flow Data Regulation. The proposal for the Data Governance Act (DGA) reflects the reality that it is very important to share data and make data available with all the necessary guarantees.

Several contributions delivered by E.DSO members, revealed that AI-enabled smart grids and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allow DSOs to monitor and manage electric supply and demand in a way that minimizes service disruptions and the need for peaking resources. Data analytics platforms applying AI enable DSOs to predict and prevent transformer failures, provide ever-evolving demand-side energy solutions for households and businesses and much more.

The DSOs face challenges when using AI and benefit from large data sets available to it, but the compliance with GDPR remains a must.

Learn more by downloading the presentations of the workshop.

E.DSO Internal Workshop on Artificial intelligence (AI) and GDPR from DSOs lenses: Challenges, Opportunities and Solutions