Pedro Sánchez announces stricter rules for artificial intelligence and warns that technology cannot self-regulate

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday in Madrid that artificial intelligence cannot be self-regulated by the companies and individuals who control the technology. At an event dedicated to AI regulation, he announced the strengthening of Spain’s cyber defenses and measures to manage the risks associated with next-generation models, described as “aggressive.”

Sánchez presented a roadmap for the next 12 months aimed at the responsible development of artificial intelligence and supporting economic growth. The plan includes establishing an AI “gigafactory” and creating new models together with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. These would be used in areas such as climate, healthcare and energy.

The prime minister called for data centers to meet high standards of environmental protection and energy efficiency, ensure data sovereignty and bring benefits to local communities. He argued that technology must be developed transparently so that citizens perceive it as an opportunity.

The remarks follow warnings from leaders of U.S. AI laboratories, who have called for development to be slowed and cautioned that systems could evolve autonomously and escape human control. Around the world, governments are seeking to regulate privacy, discrimination, disinformation, job losses and the concentration of computing power.