In response to a coordinated attempt by over a hundred tech giants to postpone the bloc’s AI regulations, the European Union announced Friday that it will adhere to its deadline for enacting its historic AI legislation, according to Reuters.
Global IT firms, including industry titans like ASML, Meta, Mistral AI, and Alphabet, have been pleading with the European Commission to postpone the implementation of the AI Act, claiming it will harm Europe’s ability to compete in the rapidly changing AI market.
It is true that I have seen a lot of letters, reports, and discussions about the AI Act. To put it as simply as possible, the clock never stops. No grace period exists. Thomas Regnier, a spokesman for the European Commission, was quoted in the paper as saying, “There is no stop.”
The AI Act, a risk-based law for AI applications, expressly prohibits a few “unacceptable risk” use cases, like social scoring and cognitive behavioral manipulation. Additionally, it outlines a number of “high-risk” applications of AI in fields like education and employment, including biometrics and facial recognition. To enter the EU market, app developers must register their systems and fulfill risk and quality management requirements.
Chatbots and other AI apps fall under the “limited risk” category and are not as obligated to provide information.
Last year, the EU began implementing the AI Act gradually; the entire regulations are expected to be in effect by the middle of 2026.
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