Participant
An organisation applying to join the sandbox.
How the laws define this
Regulatory frameworks consistently define a participant as an entity or individual formally admitted to an authorized AI initiative—such as a sandbox, experimental regime, learning lab, or funding scheme—bound by mandatory protocols, reporting obligations, and oversight. All instruments agree that becoming a participant requires official acceptance or registration, alongside adherence to program terms. The primary divergence lies in eligibility criteria and structural context. Regarding context, the Regulatory Sandbox for Artificial Intelligence and AI Sandbox 2024 focus on entities undertaking supervised trials or advisory sessions, whereas the AiNed — Artificial Intelligence Investment Programme limits participants to recipients of Growth Fund resources operating under implementation agreements. Regarding eligibility, North Carolina S747 broadly defines a participant as any accepted person, whereas Federal Law No. 258-FZ restricts participation to legal entities or individual entrepreneurs entered into an official special registry.
Synthesised from the 6 statutory definitions below. Each one is quoted in full, with its source.
How jurisdictions differ
What is distinctive in each definition, binding law in force first.
| Jurisdiction | Instrument | Status | What is distinctive |
|---|---|---|---|
| California, United States | California SB 1159 — Artificial Intelligence: Transparency and Governance | Awaiting Entry | Excludes AI systems, agents, and robots from statutory roles in government processes like rulemaking, open meetings, or records requests. |
| Russia | Federal Law on Experimental Legal Regimes in the Sphere of Digital Innovations (Federal Law No. 258-FZ) | In Force (Amended) | Requires entry in a special registry maintained by the Ministry of Economic Development, plus monitoring, insurance, and reporting obligations. |
| Moscow, Russia | Federal Law No. 123-FZ of April 24, 2020 "On carrying out experiment on establishment of special regulation for the purpose of creation of necessary conditions for development and deployment of technologies of artificial intelligence in the subject of the Russian Federation - the federal city of Moscow, about features of processing of personal data when forming regional structures of data and provisions of access to regional structures of data and introduction of amendments to articles 6 and 10 of the Federal law 'About Personal Data'" | In Force (Amended) | Limits to entities registered in a Moscow-specific government register for AI development, creation, implementation, sale, or distribution. |
| Denmark | Regulatory Sandbox for Artificial Intelligence | In Force | Encompasses private companies, public authorities, or NGOs that provide documentation, join advisory sessions, and co-produce reports. |
| Malaysia | AI Sandbox 2024 (National AI sandbox pilot programme) | In Force | Includes startups, research groups, companies, or public entities admitted to the AI Sandbox pilot. |
| North Carolina, United States | North Carolina S747 - Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy and AI Learning Laboratory Program | Proposed | Simply a person accepted to participate in the AI Learning Laboratory Program. |
| Netherlands | AiNed — Artificial Intelligence Investment Programme (National Growth Fund) | In Force | Refers to funded knowledge institutions, companies, regional hubs, and public organisations entering implementation agreements for Growth Fund resources. |
What it triggers
- In Russia under Federal Law No. 258-FZ, participants must meet eligibility criteria, conduct activities under approved experimental regimes, and comply with monitoring, insurance, and reporting obligations.source
- In Moscow under Federal Law No. 123-FZ, participants engage in AI development, creation, implementation, sale, or distribution within the experimental legal regime subject to oversight.source
- In Denmark, the Regulatory Sandbox for Artificial Intelligence describes participants as engaging in sandbox processes, providing documentation, joining advisory sessions, and co-producing final reports.source
- In Malaysia, the AI Sandbox 2024 pilot programme sets out that participants register, follow protocols, submit progress reports, and comply with sector laws during supervised trials.source
- Under the AiNed programme in the Netherlands, participants receive Growth Fund resources and enter implementation agreements specifying deliverables, milestones, reporting, and funding conditions.source
Definitions (7)
Any applying organisation (private company, public authority, or NGO) that engages in the sandbox process, provides baseline documentation, participates in intake and advisory sessions, and co‑produces the final report under the sandbox terms.
Any startup, research group, company or public entity admitted to the AI Sandbox pilot, required to register, follow programme protocols, submit progress reports, and comply with applicable sector laws while undertaking supervised trials.
A legal entity or individual entrepreneur entered in the special registry maintained by the Ministry of Economic Development that meets eligibility criteria and is authorized to conduct activities under an approved experimental legal regime subject to monitoring, insurance, reporting, and compliance obligations.
A person that is accepted to participate in the Learning Laboratory.
A legal entity or individual entrepreneur registered in a special government-maintained register in Moscow and authorized to engage in activities related to development, creation, implementation, sale, or distribution of AI technologies within the experimental legal regime, subject to the ELR's specific rules and oversight.
Funded knowledge institutions, companies, regional hubs and public organisations that receive Growth Fund resources and enter into implementation agreements specifying deliverables, milestones, reporting and funding conditions.
A statutory role in government processes such as rulemaking, open meetings, or records requests. SB 1159 excludes AI systems, autonomous agents, and robots from this concept in the affected laws.
Not to be confused with
Sandbox operator is the entity authorised to host or supervise testing environments, whereas participant is the organisation applying to or engaging in those environments.
Questions and answers
What obligations do participants have in Russian regulatory sandboxes?
Under Federal Law No. 258-FZ, participants must be entered in a special registry, meet eligibility criteria, and comply with monitoring, insurance, reporting, and other obligations during experimental regimes. Federal Law No. 123-FZ adds Moscow-specific registration for AI activities.
Who qualifies as a participant in non-binding AI sandbox programmes?
Denmark's Regulatory Sandbox includes private companies, public authorities, or NGOs providing documentation and co-producing reports. Malaysia's AI Sandbox covers admitted startups, research groups, companies, or public entities following protocols and reporting.
How does participant differ in proposed US AI programmes?
North Carolina S747 defines it narrowly as a person accepted into the Learning Laboratory, unlike broader organisational definitions in sandbox regimes elsewhere.
Related Terms
Project participant
Entity accepted into the sandbox intake process....
sandbox operator
Entity authorised to host or supervise regulated AI testing environments....
Beneficiary
Legal entity receiving Business Finland funding....
provider / prospective provider
Person or entity offering or intending to offer an AI system....
Licensee
Natural or legal person granted a provisional licence....