Draft BEREC report on the impact of generative AI on internet openness

Generative AI services have spread rapidly in the last five years and have deeply modified our everyday digital activities. Such technology can greatly benefit a variety of different actors, including end and business users, but also national regulatory authorities (NRAs) who increasingly use AI solutions to support their regulatory tasks (e.g. for market surveillance, competition analysis and spectrum management or for knowledge-sharing on AI regulation).

While generative AI can enrich user experience and complement traditional methods of accessing, generating and distributing online content and services, it can also affect the overall user experience on the internet as it has the potential to directly influence the way users access online content/services and possibly, therefore, their freedom of choice. Their widespread integration into a variety of digital services and products (e.g. search engines, messaging services, operating systems etc.) can exacerbate this possibility.

This draft BEREC report analyses the impact of generative AI on internet openness, understood as the ability of users to access and distribute information, content and services online without unlawful interference or discrimination, and the ability to innovate. The report examines the evolving structure of the AI ecosystem, the technical protocols that govern interactions between AI systems and online services, the implications for users and content providers, and the extent to which existing European regulatory frameworks can address the resulting challenges.