Paper Number
ECIS2026-2476
Paper Type
CRP
Abstract
Regulatory intermediaries are significant actors in the implementation of technology regulation. Article 70 of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act mandates European Union Member States to establish or designate National Competent Authorities, i.e., regulatory intermediaries (RIs), to enforce the AI Act. Through a case study on the early stages of Finland’s implementation of AI Act Article 70, we identify regulatory uncertainty caused by RIs affecting the targets of regulation. We contribute to policy discussions by (1) encouraging regulators to evaluate potential RIs through the four RIs capacities; and (2) recommending national- and EU-level RIs to setup structures for cooperation among each other. We contribute to Information Systems policy research by (1) showing RIs are a source of regulatory uncertainty; (2) introducing the notion of RIs’ capacities as a useful lens for studying uncertainty stemming from RIs; and (3) making visible the embeddedness of public policy cycles on different regulatory levels.
Recommended Citation
Tervo, Erkki; Väyrynen, Karin; and Iivari, Netta, "“If The Authorities Do Not Have Sufficient Resources, IT Can Become A Bottleneck and A Hindrance To The Adoption Of AI Technologies” – Regulatory Intermediaries As A Source of AI Act Regulatory Uncertainty" (2026). ECIS 2026 Proceedings. 4.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/is_policy/is_policy/4
“If The Authorities Do Not Have Sufficient Resources, IT Can Become A Bottleneck and A Hindrance To The Adoption Of AI Technologies” – Regulatory Intermediaries As A Source of AI Act Regulatory Uncertainty
Regulatory intermediaries are significant actors in the implementation of technology regulation. Article 70 of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act mandates European Union Member States to establish or designate National Competent Authorities, i.e., regulatory intermediaries (RIs), to enforce the AI Act. Through a case study on the early stages of Finland’s implementation of AI Act Article 70, we identify regulatory uncertainty caused by RIs affecting the targets of regulation. We contribute to policy discussions by (1) encouraging regulators to evaluate potential RIs through the four RIs capacities; and (2) recommending national- and EU-level RIs to setup structures for cooperation among each other. We contribute to Information Systems policy research by (1) showing RIs are a source of regulatory uncertainty; (2) introducing the notion of RIs’ capacities as a useful lens for studying uncertainty stemming from RIs; and (3) making visible the embeddedness of public policy cycles on different regulatory levels.
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