But the focus has shifted from safety to catching up with American and Chinese companies leading the AI race, and the EU’s prized AI rulebook is at strong risk of being tweaked as part of a push in Brussels to simplify laws and reduce requirements on businesses.
While digital rights campaigners warn the change of heart could see technological catastrophe come true, industry is also conflicted about the indecision.
“If you actually want to impose something, impose it, if you want to stop the clock, let’s stop the clock,” said Tomasz Snażyk, CEO of the Polish business group AI Chamber. “People want to be very certain of what is going on.”
Dutch Greens’ lawmaker Kim van Sparrentak, who is an advocate of simply enforcing the laws that she herself helped negotiate, warned about the potential brake on the adoption of technology at a time when only 13 percent of companies in Europe are estimated to properly use AI.
“As long as we don’t have an AI Act that is being enforced, we keep systems on the market of which you don’t know whether these function well or [if] these are safe. That to me is essential if we want to ensure that a lot of companies start using AI,” said van Sparrentak.
That’s in contrast to the Big Tech industry backed by the U.S. government, which argues a delay — at a minimum — is vital to give the industry the time it needs to comply.