Brussels – Bulgaria has everything you need to start creating artificial intelligence (AI) model for individual businesses to achieve efficiency. This was stated in an interview with BTA. Eva MadellMember of the European Parliament from the European People’s Party Group and co-rapporteur on the Artificial Intelligence Legislation.
The aim of the regulation establishing harmonized rules on artificial intelligence, approved by the European Parliament in March last year, is to encourage innovation while ensuring safety and respect for fundamental rights. After passing final checks and approval by the European Council, the document officially entered into force on 1 August this year. Although the law is already in force, it will become fully applicable 24 months after approval, i.e. in August 2026, when the final requirements for high-risk AI systems come into force, so European Union (EU) companies still have plenty of time to prepare, Meidel added.
According to a member of the European Parliament: There are huge opportunities for Bulgarian companies, start-ups and research institutions in terms of using the law as an opportunity for growth and innovation.
She detailed the so-called AI factories being built in the European Union (EU). “One of these factories is located in Sofia. Virtually any company can develop models with the information they need with the help of AI Factory and the INSAIT Institute.it is a niche model that targets a specific business process,” Maidel emphasized.
He added that the requirements are lower when developing artificial intelligence in less risky categories. The list of high-risk systems includes systems used for disease diagnosis, car autopilot systems, personal biometric identification, etc., as they may be involved in criminal activity. Before accessing the EU market, they must meet strict requirements, including specific and rigorous testing, transparency and human oversight.
Eva Meidel says the biggest challenge in implementing artificial intelligence legislation is how companies that want to develop AI in areas classified as risky will be prepared to apply the law..
Every day, companies say they want at least part of the law to be delayed, according to MEPs.
Meidel believes the problem lies in the way the European Commission presents the law to companies. “The EC did not provide sufficient and timely guidance on how to comply with the provisions of this law, and this has led to great dissatisfaction. In fact, there is increasing talk that with this law the EU wants to prevent the development of AI in Europe, when the idea was quite the opposite. Everyone wanted to create an atmosphere of trust that would support AI in Europe,” said Meidel.
In addition to the economic benefits and challenges, Madel also pointed to the impact of artificial intelligence on people’s critical thinking and its impact on education. My observation is that the use of applications like ChatGPT does not pose the greatest risk at this time. The risks from children’s unrestricted use of social networks and generative AI are far greater, she said. (November 26, 2025)
