The GDPR and Generative AI After the EDPB Opinion and First Enforcement Actions (Venice, IT)

Professor Théodore Christakis Director of the Chair will chair a high-level panel at the Privacy Symposium Conference 2025.

This panel will explore how to build trust and avoid critical pitfalls in the development and deployment of Large Language Models (LLMs) in Europe. As generative AI continues to evolve, the session will examine whether the current and upcoming legal frameworks leave sufficient space for innovation, while ensuring robust protection of fundamental rights.

This panel will explore how to build trust and avoid critical pitfalls in the development and deployment of Large Language Models (LLMs) in Europe. As generative AI continues to evolve, the session will examine whether the current and upcoming legal frameworks leave sufficient space for innovation, while ensuring robust protection of fundamental rights.

Key Questions to Be Examined:

• Legitimate Interest & the Balancing Act:

  How can organizations demonstrate “strict necessity” under legitimate interest following the EDPB Opinion? What does the EDPB’s balancing test imply for AI-related data collection practices, and how might this influence Europe’s ability to lead in AI innovation?

• Unanswered Questions:

  What critical gaps—such as the use of special categories of data for training LLMs—remain unresolved in the EDPB Opinion? How can stakeholders responsibly navigate these legal grey zones?

• Industry Adaptation:

  What technical, legal, and organizational best practices are emerging to support compliance with regulatory expectations and responsible AI deployment?

• Enforcement Trends:

  What do recent enforcement actions—including the Italian Garante’s investigations and the regulatory scrutiny following DeepSeek’s release—signal about the future of compliance and risk management for generative AI providers?

Speakers:

• Chair:

  Prof. Théodore Christakis

  Professor of International, European and Digital Law; Director of the Chair on the Legal and Regulatory Implications of Artificial Intelligence

• Panelists:

  Rob van Eijk
  Managing Director for Europe, Future of Privacy Forum (FPF)

  Zdravko Vukić
  Deputy Chair, European Data Protection Board (EDPB)

  Des Hogan
  Commissioner, Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC)