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[ARTICLE · art-21614] src=politico.eu pub= topic=artificial-intelligence verified=true sentiment=↓ negative

Von der Leyen’s AI pick triggers conflict-of-interest criticism

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appointed Siemens’ chairman as an adviser on industrial AI, sparking conflict-of-interest accusations after the German engineering firm helped secure a rollback of the EU’s AI rules. Critics, including Green lawmaker Kim van Sparrentak, argued the move allows a company that lobbied against AI regulations to shape the bloc’s AI integration strategy.

read1 min publishedJun 4, 2026

BRUSSELS — The appointment of Siemens’ chairman as a European Commission adviser on industrial AI is triggering a backlash in Brussels, weeks after the German engineering giant helped secure a rollback of the EU’s AI rules.

"My first reaction was just: Wow," said Kim van Sparrentak, a Dutch lawmaker who led the work on the AI file for the Greens in the European Parliament.

"They fought hard against AI rules for themselves, they lobby against technological sovereignty, and now they get to decide how we are going to integrate AI," she said.

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