(Vienna, 03 June 2026) The Medical University of Vienna continues to play a role in shaping how Europe regulates the use of artificial intelligence: Matthias Samwald from the Institute of Artificial Intelligence has been appointed to the new scientific panel of the EU AI Act as one of only two members from Austria, making him one of 60 independent experts selected from across Europe and beyond.
The Scientific Panel is the central technical advisory body of the AI Act, Europe's landmark legislation on artificial intelligence. Its members support the European Commission and national authorities with the most challenging issues in AI oversight, such as identifying systemic risks from the most capable general-purpose AI models, and developing methods to evaluate them. How these fast-advancing systems are governed will matter well beyond Europe.
This appointment builds directly on Samwald's earlier work as co-leader of the "Safety & Security" chapter of the EU Code of Practice for General-Purpose AI, which was completed in 2025 and is now being built upon by leading developers such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.
"AI is starting to reshape how science, the economy, and government work, and our institutions are racing to keep up", says Samwald. "Having strong, independent expertise within the process ensures that European AI rules are genuinely effective and not just an added layer of bureaucracy. Europe has a real chance to demonstrate that trustworthy and capable AI are not mutually exclusive but two sides of the same coin".
The fact that an Austrian AI researcher sits on the Panel highlights MedUni Vienna's international standing in artificial intelligence and its responsible development.
Further information:
Press release: AI Act enforcement gets independent expert support
AI Act Scientific Panel