Europe already has its great artificial intelligence law. What is missing, according to several companies, are the concrete rules to apply it. Only a month after the first standards for the most advanced models, more than 45 large companies – including Aile, Airbus or Mistral – have signed an open letter asking Brussels to “stop the clock” and postpone their entry into force two years. They point to an unrealistic calendar and the difficulty of competing with the United States or China.
What exactly is EU’s artificial intelligence law? The artificial intelligence law of the European Union entered into force on August 1, 2024, after having been politically approved by the European Parliament and the Council in December 2023. It is the first integral regulation of the world focused on this technology, and regulates from how the models are trained to what contexts can be used. The key is in its approach to risk levels: the greater the potential impact, more legal obligations.
And what exactly Asml, Airbus, Mistral and the rest ask? They claim a pause two years before the most demanding parts of the law enter into force, especially those that affect high -risk systems and the general purpose models, whose first section is scheduled for August 2025. The reason: the rule is too complex, it is overwhelmed with other regulations and still lacks key guides for its application.
Sede Central de ASML and Veldhoven
Among those guides is the code of good practices, which should have been published in spring and still is not ready. Companies argue that without that document, and with this level of uncertainty, the law can become a brake for European innovation. “This situation puts at risk not only the development of European leaders, but the ability of all industries to deploy the scale that demands global competition,” they warn.
They also ask that regulatory quality prioritize against speed, and warn that continuing without changes would send a wrong message to the seriousness of Europe in its commitment to technological competitiveness.
The names behind this initiative. The request does not arise from an isolated startup or from an informal group of companies. Behind is the EU AI Champions Initiative, a group that groups more than 60 European companies that claim to be committed to the development of a competitive AI and aligned with the EU values. Among its members are names such as ASML, Airbus, Mistral AI, Mercedes-Benz, BNP Paribas, Siemens Energy, Lufthansa, Philips or Publicis. Of course, not all members of the US Ai Champions Initiative signed the letter published this week.
Images | Sigmund | Rawpixel | ASML
In WorldOfSoftware | After strictly regulating AI, the European Union has identified a problem: it has been too European Union
