Regulating AI in Switzerland

While initiatives such as the Council of Europe's AI Convention and the EU's AI Act have already been adopted at an international level, there has been no specific regulation for the use of AI in Switzerland to date.

As a reminder: on 17 May last year, the Council of Europe adopted the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. The aim of this legally binding international agreement is to ensure that AI systems are developed and used in accordance with these values.

The Federal Council announced in a press release on 12 February 2025 that the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Artificial Intelligence and the necessary amendments to Swiss law are to be made. The Federal Council has instructed its administration to draw up a comprehensive analysis of the options for Switzerland.

It is important to note that regulation in the field of AI should be based on three objectives:

1. Switzerland should be strengthened as a centre of innovation
2. Fundamental rights and the economy should be safeguarded and protected
3. The population should have greater trust in AI

And in practice?

Many measures are needed to protect the rights and opportunities of employees through the use of AI. In our view, however, it is also crucial that employees receive further training in this area.

As a survey conducted by the political alliance platform in November 2024 confirmed, 80% of respondents see a clear need for further training in order to integrate AI into their professional tasks in a meaningful way; this need is particularly strong among employees at lower hierarchical levels. There is also a mutual lack of trust with regard to AI knowledge: Only a third of employees without management responsibility consider their superiors to be sufficiently informed, while managers are similarly critical of their teams' AI knowledge. Source: The changing world of work: AI requires a comprehensive knowledge offensive - die plattform ｜ la plateforme.

As a union, we offer you the support you need on the topic of AI, whether through training courses or other AI topics in the world of work. Contact us if you have any questions.