The world’s first AI law didn’t happen by accident. It was a political fight.
Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament and lead negotiator of the EU AI Act, joins Legal AI Lab to reveal what really happened behind the scenes during the 36-hour negotiation that defined how artificial intelligence will be governed in Europe.
He explains how Big Tech lobbying tried to weaken the rules, why trust and transparency are key to innovation, and how the so-called “Brussels effect” could make the EU’s AI law a global benchmark.
Together with host Hidde Bruinsma, Benifei discusses how Europe’s human-first approach contrasts with the U.S. and China, and what this means for the future of AI, law, and democracy.
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction – Who is Brando Benifei and why the AI Act matters
1:45 How the idea of an AI law in Europe began
3:20 The 36-hour negotiation that shaped the AI Act
6:15 Inside the political pressure and Big Tech lobbying
9:10 Balancing innovation with regulation
11:40 Why trust and transparency drive progress
14:05 The Brussels Effect – how EU laws shape the world
16:25 What makes the AI Act different from U.S. and China approaches
18:40 How AI regulation impacts startups and small companies
21:00 Human rights, bias, and the ethical limits of AI
23:30 Enforcement: how the AI Act will actually work in practice
25:15 What comes after the AI Act
27:00 Closing thoughts – AI, democracy, and the future of trust
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