Learning Call: GenAI and the DSA’s Systemic Risk Framework
Thursday, 25 May
14:00-15:15 (CEST)
Online (Zoom), Register here
Moderator: João Pedro Quintais (IViR, University of Amsterdam)
Speakers: Sebastian Felix Schwemer (BI Norwegian Business School), Buse Raziye Çetin (AI Forensics), John Albert (IViR, University of Amsterdam)
This Learning Call, part of an ongoing series on current issues surrounding the Digital Services Act (DSA), examines generative AI as a test case for the DSA’s systemic risk framework.
Speakers will discuss the nature of GenAI‑related risks and the governance mechanisms provided by the DSA and related legal frameworks to address them. Such risks may arise from the dissemination of synthetic and manipulated media, like deepfakes, on very large online platforms and search engines (VLOPSEs), as well as from new GenAI tools deployed by those very platforms in their content moderation systems or via embedded features like AI Overviews.
Broadly, the session will probe the potential and limits of the DSA’s platform‑centric, risk‑based approach to tackling the complex challenges posed by GenAI, and consider its interaction with other legal instruments (AI regulation, competition law, copyright). The session will also reflect on recent enforcement and policy developments, such as the potential VLOSE designation for services like ChatGPT, the Commission’s investigation into X’s deployment of Grok, the proposed Digital Omnibus on AI, and the review of the EU rules on copyright and AI.
Image attribution: Janet Turra & Cambridge Diversity Fund / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Participation
To participate in this event, please register using this form. You will receive the login details on the day of the event. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to us at dsaobservatory-ivir@uva.nl.
Speakers
Sebastian Felix Schwemer is Professor of Law and Technology at BI Norwegian Business School. He is also Associate Professor (IT Law and Law and New Technology) at the Centre for Information and Innovation Law (CIIR) at the University of Copenhagen (on leave), where he previously served as Director. Sebastian has advised national lawmakers and the European Commission in relation to technology regulation, has experience from various legal and interdisciplinary research projects, and has been active in the technology startup ecosystem.
Buse Raziye Çetin is Head of AI Policy at AI Forensics, a European non-profit investigating algorithmic systems and platform power, and a lecturer in EU AI Policy at ELISAVA School of Engineering & Design. Her work focuses on AI governance, platform regulation, and the societal impacts of large-scale algorithmic systems, with particular attention to the EU AI Act, the Digital Services Act, and accountability mechanisms.
John Albert is an Associate Researcher at the University of Amsterdam’s Institute for Information Law (IViR), and a contributing writer and editor for the DSA Observatory. His current research examines how platforms frame generative AI in their systemic risk assessment reports; he has previously written on the functioning of DSA audits and researcher access to platform data within the DSA’s systemic risk-management regime.
About the Learning Call Series
This series brings together researchers and practitioners to discuss current developments and emerging questions related to the Digital Services Act and its implementation. It is organised by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society in collaboration with the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI), and the DSA Observatory, with support from the Network of Centres (NoC), and as part of the DSA Research Network, funded by Stiftung Mercator.
This learning call on Generative AI and the DSA’s Systemic Risk Framework is also supported through a NWO Vidi research grant awarded to Dr João Pedro Quintais (IViR, University of Amsterdam) (Grant ID: https://doi.org/10.61686/HTKXT49425).
About the Network of Centers (NoC)
The NoC is a collaborative initiative among academic institutions with a focus on interdisciplinary research on the development, social impact, policy implications, and legal issues concerning the Internet. This collective aims to increase interoperability between participating centers in order to stimulate the creation of new cross-national, cross-disciplinary conversation, debate, teaching, learning, and engagement regarding the most pressing questions around new technologies, social change, and related policy and regulatory developments.
About the DSA Research Network
The DSA Research Network aims to establish a unique space for communication and collaboration on the implementation of the Digital Services Act, with a strong focus on making early recommendations on potential areas for reform. Following a network-based approach, the project sets out to add value to already existing initiatives that have been formed to accompany the process of implementation. By providing a platform for cross-sectoral dialogue between academics, practitioners, NGOs, and regulators, we facilitate the creation of actionable knowledge and foster a culture of collaboration.
Partners
The DSA Research Network is a collaboration between the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans Bredow Institute, and the DSA Observatory, University of Amsterdam. It is funded by Stiftung Mercator.
