Metamorphosis supports the appeal against the undermining of transparency in the EU through the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act)

The Metamorphosis Foundation, together with biggest European digital rights network, EDRi, as well as numerous civil society organizations and individuals, is making an urgent appeal to the European Parliament and EU member states to reject the proposed amendments in the so-called “AI Omnibus” which pose a serious threat to transparency and the protection of fundamental human rights.

Following previous warnings about the implications of this process for North Macedonia and the region, Metamorphosis continues to actively support initiatives promoting the responsible regulation of artificial intelligence.

What is controversial about the new proposal?

The main point of concern is the proposed deletion of Article 49(2) of the Artificial Intelligence Act. This article serves as a crucial safeguard, requiring companies that develop high-risk systems and wish to exempt themselves from strict rules (by claiming their system does not pose a significant risk), to register such exemptions in a publicly accessible database.

If this proposal is adopted, it would create a dangerous “legal loophole” that could allow:

Uncontrolled self-regulation: AI system providers would be able to unilaterally decide, without any oversight, that their system is not high-risk.

Reduced transparency: The public and civil society organizations would have no insight into which companies have claimed exemptions, making it impossible to challenge such decisions.

Impaired supervision: Regulatory authorities would lose visibility over the market, seriously jeopardizing safety and the protection of citizens’ rights.

A 100 EUR “saving” versus the protection of human rights

The open letter emphasizes that the European Commission justifies this deletion by citing a reduction in administrative burden, claiming it would save companies on average only 100 EUR.

“Saving 100 EUR per company is severely disproportionate to the detrimental impact caused by removing the Article 49(2) transparency safeguard and is not in line with the Commission’s claim that the ‘targeted simplification measures’ in the AI Omnibus do ‘not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of simplification and burden reduction without lowering the protection of health, safety and fundamental rights,’” the EDRi network statement reads.

Why is this important for us?

As a country seeking alignment with European legislation, any change in the EU Artificial Intelligence Act will directly affect domestic policies and the protection of Macedonian citizens. Metamorphosis maintains the position that technology must serve people, not develop in opaque conditions that prioritize corporate interests over the public good.

The Metamorphosis Foundation continues to closely monitor the process and advocate for a digital future based on accountability and respect for human rights.