AI laws and regulation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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There is currently no dedicated AI law in force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) currently does not have a dedicated and separate law regulating AI. However, it can be argued that AI-related activities are indirectly and to some extent governed by other existing laws, such as data protection regulations, IP laws, etc. However, since AI is still a relatively new concept in the local legal framework, it will most likely take some time until any official guidance is established and AI is fully implemented in local legislation. An additional level of complexity is introduced by the fact that BiH has a very complex constitutional composition, due to which legislation is passed at several administrative and jurisdictional levels.

AI is only briefly mentioned in the 2021–2027 Development Strategy adopted by the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), which is an integrated, multi-sectoral strategic document of the FBiH that defines public policies and guides the socio-economic development of the FBiH. A similar strategy is adopted in the Republic of Srpska (RS) for the purposes of developing science and technology where AI is mentioned with respect to the digitalization of the economy. Also, in the section related to the integration and application of EU digital technologies, the RS strategy states that it is necessary to promote and encourage the use of various information and communication technologies (ICT) (e.g., electronic data exchange, social networks, big data technologies, cloud technologies, artificial intelligence, ICT for environmental sustainability, e-invoicing, e-commerce), as well as to monitor the level of their implementation in business operations across all sectors.

Please also note that BiH has just recently officially joined the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law, which may indicate that the development of AI is gaining traction and being recognized locally.

In BiH, there is no dedicated authority or regulator responsible for overseeing AI use. However, in the above-mentioned Strategy for FBiH, an establishment of a separate institute is envisaged as one of the measures for the development of artificial intelligence. The task of the institute would be to monitor the development of AI and to conduct research related to the application of AI in various fields.

No. As noted above, the only mention of AI is within the above-mentioned strategies, which generally define AI as a field of computer science focused on developing intelligent tools (machines, devices, applications) that react and learn like humans.

As noted above, BiH currently does not have any legal framework specific to AI, and no official information is available regarding the steps taken to align current or any future legislation with international standards.

However, BiH's long-term goal is to join the EU, in pursuit of which it aims to align its legislation with EU standards under the country's undertakings in the executed BiH Stabilisation and Association Agreement.

No official information is available for AI-specific legislation.

N/A.