The EU is sticking to its plan to roll out new AI rules, even though more than 100 tech companies have asked for a delay.
Big players like Meta, Google’s parent company Alphabet, and French AI startup Mistral signed a letter urging the European Commission to hold off, warning that the rules might make it harder for European companies to compete.
But on Friday, the Commission made it clear: the schedule isn’t changing. “There is no stop the clock. There is no grace period. There is no pause,” a spokesperson said.
Under the current timeline, the first set of rules focused on general-purpose AI models, kicks in by August 2025. A year later, stricter rules for high-risk AI systems will follow. These cover areas like facial recognition, education, hiring, and anything that could seriously impact people’s rights. Some uses, like social scoring and psychological manipulation, will be banned completely.
To make things a bit easier for smaller companies, the EU says it’s working on a voluntary code of practice, expected by the end of next year. There’s also talk of simplifying other tech regulations to reduce the overall burden.
Despite pushback, EU officials believe strong rules are needed to keep AI safe and fair. So far, they’re not showing any signs of backing down.
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