Interdependences between AI applications and liberal professions services: addressing urgent societal needs

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Background

Liberal professions — doctors, dentists, engineers, architects, lawyers, notaries, tax advisers, accountants and others — deliver services tied to fundamental rights and daily needs. Digitalisation is reshaping these activities; rapid advances in AI now touch diagnosis and therapy, legal research and drafting, auditing and fraud detection, engineering design and routine office work.

The context is two‑sided: AI can speed analysis, automate repetitive administration and widen access to services (e.g. telemedicine and translation), but it also raises concerns about trust, opaque algorithms and bias, accountability and liability, confidentiality of sensitive data, platform dependence and uneven access to secure computing and data infrastructure.

A durable approach therefore focuses on human judgement, explainability, strong data protection and professional secrecy, fair access to trustworthy tools, and ongoing training so ethics and practice standards keep pace with technology.

Key points:

In the opinion, the EESC:

  • underlines that AI should remain a complementary tool rather than a substitute, with ultimate decision-making in sensitive areas such as health, law, or taxation staying under human control to safeguard professional autonomy and accountability;
  • stresses that technology can ease administrative burdens and routine tasks, enabling professionals to focus on higher-value, human-centric services, which improves efficiency and the quality of services delivered to citizens and enterprises;
  • insists that ethical and professional standards must apply to the use of AI, ensuring transparency in AI-driven decisions, avoiding bias and discrimination, and respecting privacy, data protection, and intellectual property rights.

Additional information

Section: Single Market, Production and Consumption

Opinion number: INT/1083

Opinion type: Own-initiative opinion

Rapporteur: Rudolf KOLBE

Date of adoption in section: 2/9/2025

Date of adoption in plenary: 18/9/2025

Outcome of the vote: 98 in favour/0 against/0 abstentions

Contacts:

Press officer: Laura Lui

Tel.: +32 2 546 9189

Email: laurairena.lui@eesc.europa.eu

Administrator: Yousra Asbouni El Ouahabi

Tel.      +32 2 546 8485

Email:  yousra.asbounieluuahabi@eesc.europa.eu

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