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Marietje Schaake

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Policy research · Democratic governance

Marietje Schaake is a technology-policy researcher and former Member of the European Parliament. Her AI work includes proposals for European governance and analysis of the benefits and risks of openly released foundation models. She is affiliated with the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI and Stanford's Cyber Policy Center.[1][2]

Roles and affiliations

Stanford HAI identifies Schaake as an international policy fellow. Its biography records her service in the European Parliament from 2009 to 2019, working on trade, foreign affairs and technology policy. It also identifies her participation in the UN High-level Advisory Body on AI and her authorship of The Tech Coup. Her parliamentary service predates the final AI Act negotiations.[1]

Contributions and positions

European AI governance proposals

In June 2020, Schaake led a multidisciplinary Stanford group submitting recommendations on the European Commission's AI white paper. The submission addressed transparency, accountability, liability, labor-market effects and the risks of relying uncritically on automated systems. Its cover letter expressly identified the recommendations as the contributors' views rather than an institutional position.[3]

The group proposed auditing, risk-management processes and accessible redress, alongside attention to public-sector use and employment decisions. It also called for education about automation bias and for testing systems that operate alongside other AI systems. These proposals were input into an evolving debate; they should not be read as the final text of the EU AI Act or evidence that the Commission adopted each recommendation.[3]

Open foundation models

Schaake co-authored the December 2023 brief Considerations for Governing Open Foundation Models. It argues that widely available model weights can promote competition, innovation and scrutiny. Its central analytical question is the additional risk created by open release compared with closed models or technologies that are already available.[2]

The authors caution that licensing and liability rules can impose disproportionate burdens on open-model developers. They also recognize that releasing weights makes it difficult to prevent subsequent misuse. Their recommendations favor attention to demonstrated risks and to interventions targeted at downstream harms. The brief is an attributed policy argument, not a certification that openly released models are safe.[2]

Selected works and policy submissions

Coverage

Stanford HAI's profile links Schaake's policy publications and institutional affiliations. Its publications record distinguishes the 2020 consultation submission from a later explainer about the Commission's 2021 AI Act proposal. These are separate stages in the development of European AI governance, rather than descriptions of the law as it stands today.[1]

References