BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The appointment of Siemens Chairman Jim Hagemann Snabe as AI advisor to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is facing backlash. 'It is problematic that the chairman of a German company with its own very distinct interests in the field of AI has been chosen,' Green MEP Alexandra Geese told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

Geese noted that Siemens lobbied heavily during the drafting of the European AI Act to exempt industry from the stricter regulations. 'What I find even more unsettling is that Siemens' current financial performance is heavily dependent on the massive expansion of data centers,' the German politician added.

German Tech Giant Benefits from AI Boom

The technology group Siemens has recently benefited from high demand related to AI data centers, particularly in the U.S. CEO Roland Busch described the growth in orders as unprecedented.

Geese argued that a massive expansion of data centers in competition with the U.S. is a losing battle, partly due to high energy prices in the EU. Instead, she suggested that to remain competitive, the focus should be on smaller AI models that consume less power and resources, specialized for fields such as medical research.

EU Commission Defends Appointment

The European Commission appointed the Danish manager Hagemann Snabe as its first Special Envoy for Artificial Intelligence a few days ago. The Brussels-based executive announced that he will advise EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Vice-President Henna Virkkunen in this capacity until the end of next March.

A spokesperson added on Friday, upon inquiry, that specific safeguards would be implemented to ensure that the appointment does not lead to any conflict of interest. Due to data protection reasons, the spokesperson was unable to provide further details on these measures.

Criticism from Leftists and NGOs

Martin Schirdewan, co-chair of the Left group in the European Parliament, criticized the move: 'Precisely because billions in investments in AI infrastructure are at stake, the Commission must be transparent about how conflicts of interest are being excluded.'

The non-profit organization Corporate Europe Observatory, which advocates for greater transparency in policymaking, also criticized the Commission's decision. 'A more obvious conflict of interest is hard to imagine,' activist Bram Vranken told the 'Euractiv' portal./tre/DP/zb