Beyond Trustworthy AI: Why the EU AI Act Risks Displaced Trust?

When the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) was finally enacted in July 2024, it was hailed as the world’s first comprehensive legal framework for AI. The Act represents not just a regulatory milestone but also a profound political statement: that the Regulation must “promote the uptake of human-centric and trustworthy artificial intelligence” (EU AI Act, Art 1). The ambition to promote trustworthy AI inevitably intersects with the very notion of trust, highlighting their intrinsic connection and reinforcing a fundamentally human-centred principle. Yet, in articulating how to achieve trustworthy AI, the EU AI Act does not set out an explicit policy goal concerning human trust, whether interpersonal or institutional. This invites a deeper reflection: can human trust truly be said to play a role within the Act? It is worth exploring the extent to which the emphasis on trustworthiness is underpinned by a human-centric perspective on trust itself.