To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: On April 21, 2021, the European Commission published its bold and comprehensive proposals for the regulation of artificial intelligence. With suggested fines of up to 6% of annual global turnover, as well as new rules and prohibitions governing high-risk AI systems, the announcement has already generated much interest, with speculation about how it will impact both the technology companies that develop AI systems and the industries that utilize them. Due to the critical role that data plays in the development of machine learning technologies, the regulation is of real consequence to the privacy profession particularly. While consideration of the full range of implications of the draft text is only just beginning, there are some important initial conclusions that can be drawn.