As the debate around artificial intelligence intensifies, the Lisbon Council convened the High-Level Working Breakfast on the Ethics of Artificial IntelIigence: From Guiding Principles to Effective Implementation. Jen Gennai, head of ethical machine learning, trust and safety at Google, kicked the session off with a fascinating overview of the AI Principles launched in June by Google CEO Sundar Pinchai and the effort to implement and effectively enforce the principles across all Google platforms. Giulia del Brenna, deputy head of cabinet of Carlos Moedas, European commissioner for research, science and innovation; Marek Canecky, seconded national expert on cyber issues to the general secretariat of the Council of the European Union; Bjoern Juretzki, assistant to the director-general for communications networks, content and technology at the European Commission; Klaudia Majcher, digital policy analyst at the European Political Strategy Centre; Ana Ramirez, head of unit for internal market at the general secretariat of the Council of the European Union; Patricia Reilly, deputy head of cabinet of Tibor Navracsics, European commissioner for education, culture, youth and sport; Nathalie Smuha, from the office of the director for digital industry at the European Commission’s directorate-general for communications networks, content and technology; Dirk Staudenmayer, head of unit for contract law at the European Commission’s directorate-general for justice and consumers; and Nikolay Stoyanov, policy assistant to the senior adviser on artificial intelligence and robotics at the European Political Strategy Centre, joined a fascinating exchange about the challenge of ensuring decisions from “machine-learning” trained algorithms remain ethical and transparent and the way these high standards can be rolled out and effectively implemented at all times.