EU seeks experts for new scientific panel to oversee AI Act implementation

The European Commission has launched a call for expressions of interest to establish a scientific panel of independent experts focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and its societal and technical impacts. This panel will play a central role in supporting the enforcement of the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689), particularly with regard to general-purpose AI (GPAI) systems.

The call, issued on 16 June 2025, seeks 60 experts who will serve for a renewable term of 24 months. The selected individuals will work in a personal capacity and are expected to operate independently of any AI system or GPAI provider. Their work will directly support the newly established AI Office, national market surveillance authorities, and broader cross-border enforcement activities.

Scientific and technical scope

The panel will contribute to several key areas:

• Assessing systemic risks related to GPAI models
• Developing evaluation tools and benchmarks
• Advising on the classification of GPAI models, particularly those with systemic risk
• Supporting regulatory responses, including under the EU safeguard mechanism

Expertise must be grounded in disciplines relevant to AI risk assessment and governance. Areas of focus include adversarial testing, forecasting AI capabilities, cybersecurity risks, content watermarking, compute usage verification, and assessment of societal impacts such as discrimination or public safety threats. A PhD or equivalent experience, along with a demonstrable track record of relevant scientific contributions, is required.

Selection criteria

Applicants must demonstrate both technical competence and independence from industry. This includes the absence of current employment or consultancy ties with AI developers or providers. A declaration of interests must accompany each application, including disclosures regarding financial stakes, intellectual property, and affiliations of close family members that could be perceived as compromising impartiality.

The Commission aims to ensure broad geographical representation, with at least one and no more than three experts from each EU Member State or EFTA/EEA country. Gender balance will also be pursued in line with regulatory requirements.

Role and governance

The AI Office and the Joint Research Centre will jointly serve as the panel’s Secretariat. They will oversee task assignments, manage potential conflicts of interest, and coordinate stakeholder hearings when necessary. Panel members are expected to participate in meetings regularly, engage with preparatory work, and respond promptly to Secretariat communications.

Experts may be compensated when designated as rapporteurs or contributors for specific deliverables. Travel and subsistence costs will be reimbursed according to standard EU provisions.

Application details

Applications must be submitted via the EU Survey platform by 14 September 2025 at 18:00 CET. Required materials include a motivation letter (maximum two pages), a completed declaration of interest, a CV (preferably up to four pages), and, if applicable, supporting documentation validating scientific expertise.

Inquiries may be addressed to the AI Office at: EU-AI-SCIENTIFIC-PANEL@ec.europa.eu.

This initiative marks a formal step toward structured oversight of high-risk AI systems in the EU, embedding expert-led evaluation mechanisms into the regulatory architecture envisioned by the AI Act.