Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger of the CDU spoke on Monday, warning against the premature restriction of Artificial Intelligence development and advocating for greater freedom in its creation. Speaking during the ntv program “Blome & Pfeffer” Wildberger argued that Europe and Germany require “much more scope for design freedom” if they are to build technology products. He stated that if the mindset approaches regulating the development phase itself, thereby preventing a product from ever being created, “that is impossible”.
While criticizing previous European innovation policies for regulating markets before anything had actually taken root, Wildberger stressed the need for a clear distinction between necessary consumer protection and regulation that actively stifles innovation.
However, the Minister emphasized that current protective mechanisms must remain intact. He affirmed that before any product-including an AI system-is brought to market, strict safety and testing protocols must be followed. Furthermore, Wildberger highlighted that existing regulatory frameworks, such as the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, are indispensable and represent core values that must be maintained.
