The Role of AI in GDPR Compliance and Data Protection Auditing

Abstract

The implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has placed stringent obligations on organizations to ensure accountability, transparency, and effective data governance. Meeting these requirements is particularly challenging in the context of rapidly expanding digital infrastructures and data-driven business models. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as both a challenge and a solution in this landscape. On the one hand, AI systems raise concerns around automated decision-making, explainability, and the adequacy of informed consent. On the other hand, AI-powered auditing and compliance tools provide organizations with the capacity to process large-scale records, detect anomalies, and operationalize continuous monitoring of GDPR obligations.

This paper examines the role of AI in GDPR compliance and data protection auditing. It highlights AI’s capacity to support automated risk assessments, consent verification, algorithmic impact assessments, and conformity evaluations. Advances such as semantically modeled consent management, cognitive services in auditing, and explainability-by-design approaches demonstrate how AI can bridge compliance gaps. The analysis also addresses limitations, including bias in audit algorithms, opacity in AI-driven assessments, and the need for alignment with governance frameworks. Furthermore, the integration of AI into auditing processes is evaluated against the backdrop of emerging regulatory proposals on trustworthy AI in Europe.

The findings suggest that while AI cannot replace human oversight in GDPR compliance, it enhances scalability, precision, and adaptability of audits. A layered approach that combines AI-driven monitoring with governance and accountability mechanisms offers the most effective pathway toward trustworthy, GDPR-aligned data protection practices.