The EU AI Act establishes ambitious transparency obligations, which are aimed at supporting oversight and trust in artificial intelligence. For many AI companies, these obligations raise concerns around the protection of trade secrets, especially where disclosures under the AI Act may involve training data, model architecture, or proprietary techniques.

In an article published on IAM on 8 May 2025 entitled Trade secrets v transparency, Giulia Maienza (HSF London/Milan) and Maximilian Martini (HSF Düsseldorf) examine the relevant transparency requirements under the AI Act, the tensions they create with trade secret protection and how businesses might navigate the emerging regulatory landscape without compromising the confidentiality that underpins their competitive advantage.

Key contacts

Giulia Maienza photo

Giulia Maienza

Senior Associate (Italy), London

Giulia Maienza