Latest news with #ArtificialIntelligenceAct
India Today
6 days ago
- Business
- India Today
No stop the clock, no pause: EU rejects calls from Alphabet, Meta and others to stall AI regulation
The European Union has firmly rejected mounting calls from major tech companies, including Alphabet, Meta to delay the implementation of its Artificial Intelligence Act. Many big tech companies and even the several European AI firms such as ASML and Mistral asked the commission to hold on the implementation, citing high compliance costs and complex regulatory requirements. However, the EU has now made it clear that the legal timeline for rolling out the AI Act will remain seen, indeed, a lot of reporting, a lot of letters and a lot of things being said on the AI Act. Let me be as clear as possible: there is no stop the clock. There is no grace period. There is no pause,' said EU Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier at a press conference via Reuters. The Commission also emphasized the upcoming law is being adopted to ensure responsible AI development and carries legally binding deadlines which will be enforced tech companies want delay in AI ActTech and AI companies are resisting the implementation of AI rules by the EU, following concerns that the law could stifle innovation and increase costs. US-based tech giants, including Google's parent Alphabet and Facebook owner Meta, have joined European firms in urging Brussels to consider a delay. But the Commission is resolute, and has even warned the companies that delays in implementation would compromise public trust and safety. 'We have legal deadlines established in a legal text,' Regnier noted, outlining that the Act's provisions are staggered and will take effect in phases starting this EU is also planning to simplify some digital rules later in 2025, which could potentially reduce reporting obligations for smaller companies. However, the Commission has clarified that these simplifications will not affect the rollout or enforcement timeline of the AI Act itself. With the Act, the Commission wants to place guardrails around AI, which is currently a rapidly advancing technology touching nearly every sector of the is the EU AI ActThe EU Artificial Intelligence Act is described as the world's first comprehensive regulatory framework for AI. It officially entered into force on 1 August 2024. The Act includes guidelines for AI companies to follow a risk-based approach, categorising AI systems based on the level of harm they could pose. The most dangerous uses—such as manipulative behavioural prediction tools or untargeted facial recognition scraping—are outright banned under the will the AI Act be enforcedThe first set of regulations was enforced from 2 February 2025, targeting the most harmful AI practices. By 2 August 2025, obligations for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models will come into effect. For models that were already on the market before this date, providers have until August 2027 to ensure compliance. Meanwhile, rules governing high-risk AI systems—such as those used in employment, education, healthcare, or critical infrastructure—will come into force on 2 August 2026.- Ends
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Code of practice to help companies with AI rules may come end 2025, EU says
A code of practice designed to help thousands of companies comply with the European Union's landmark artificial intelligence rules may only be issued at the end of 2025, the European Commission said on Thursday, potentially marking a delay of more than six months. Alphabet's Google, Meta Platforms, European companies such as Mistral and ASML as well as several EU governments have called for a delay in implementing the Artificial Intelligence Act, partly due to the lack of a code of practice. Publication of the Code of Practice for large language models (GPAI) such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and similar models launched by Google and Mistral had originally been planned for May 2. "On the AI Act's GPAI rules, the European AI Board is discussing the timing to implement the Code of Practice, with the end of 2025 being considered," a Commission spokesperson said. Signing up to the code is voluntary but companies who decline to do so, as some Big Tech firms have indicated, will not benefit from the legal certainty provided to a signatory. The Commission pushed back against calls for a delay in rolling out the AI rules. "Our commitment to the goals of the AI Act, such as establishing harmonised risk-based rules across the EU and ensuring the safety of AI systems in the European market, remains unchanged," the spokesperson said.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Code of practice to help companies with AI rules may come end 2025, EU says
By Foo Yun Chee and Supantha Mukherjee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -A code of practice designed to help thousands of companies comply with the European Union's landmark artificial intelligence rules may only be issued at the end of 2025, the European Commission said on Thursday, potentially marking a delay of more than six months. Alphabet's Google, Meta Platforms, European companies such as Mistral and ASML as well as several EU governments have called for a delay in implementing the Artificial Intelligence Act, partly due to the lack of a code of practice. Publication of the Code of Practice for large language models (GPAI) such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and similar models launched by Google and Mistral had originally been planned for May 2. "On the AI Act's GPAI rules, the European AI Board is discussing the timing to implement the Code of Practice, with the end of 2025 being considered," a Commission spokesperson said. Signing up to the code is voluntary but companies who decline to do so, as some Big Tech firms have indicated, will not benefit from the legal certainty provided to a signatory. The Commission pushed back against calls for a delay in rolling out the AI rules. "Our commitment to the goals of the AI Act, such as establishing harmonised risk-based rules across the EU and ensuring the safety of AI systems in the European market, remains unchanged," the spokesperson said.
Euronews
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Racial profiling still rife across the EU, Council of Europe says
Law enforcement officials across Europe continue to use racial profiling, the Council of Europe's human rights monitoring body (ECRI) has warned. In a report published on Wednesday, the ECRI said the practice — which see officials act on ethnic background, skin colour, religion or citizenship rather than objective evidence — persists both in stop-and-search policing and at border controls. "We've noticed that no member state of the Council of Europe is really immune when it comes to racial profiling," Bertil Cottier, chair of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), told Euronews. Experts are concerned about law enforcement agencies' plans to make extensive use of facial recognition technology. Adequate safeguards need to be introduced first, they say. Despite the strict European framework set out in the Artificial Intelligence Act, which came into force in August 2024, practices differ in various member states. French police, for example, have been routinely using facial recognition on the streets for many years, and Belgium is looking into systematically introducing the controversial technology for "tracking convicted and suspected offenders". The Council of Europe pointed to research indicating that such technology risks misidentifying individuals. "It is a concern for us. New technologies are always a problem when it comes to discrimination issues," said Cottier. "We fear that if new technologies are abused then it will enhance the problem." For this reason, the ECRI watches over emerging technologies. The Council of Europe has adopted a framework convention on AI and human rights. "One committee of the Council of Europe is dealing with anti-discrimination issues and is preparing a specific recommendation on the field of AI and discrimination," said Cottier. The ECRI report does not cite situations in specific countries. However, in the past, the body has published country-specific reports. In France, for example, the ECRI has long recommended that authorities introduce an effective system of recording identity checks by law enforcement officers. Last year, the Council of Europe organised a round table with the French authorities, police forces and NGOs to discuss the recommendation. "France is one country of concern when it comes to racial profiling," said Cottier. "But still we noticed a couple of months ago sadly that our recommendation on combating racial profiling — in particular on tracing the police officers who [incorrectly] stopped people — has been ignored so far," Cottier added. France's highest administrative court ruled in 2023 that the state was failing to deal with the widely documented practice of racial profiling by the police. NGOs have warned that the practice damages the relationship between the police and the public. So does the ECRI, which said in its report that "racial profiling generates a feeling of humiliation and injustice in society". "Such practices jeopardise the work of law enforcement officials who comply with the law and police ethics standards, and who are committed to combating racism and racial discrimination," the ECRI experts wrote. Italy is another country of concern. "During our visit to Italy we noticed some cases of racial profiling within the police forces. We made a recommendation to the Italian government to take this issue seriously," Cottier noted. Here, racial profiling by law enforcement especially targets Roma and people of African descent. An October 2024 report urged Italy to carry out an independent study to assess the level of racial profiling within its police forces. However, the Italian government hit back against it. Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, defended the 'men and women who, every day, work with dedication and self-sacrifice to ensure the safety of all citizens, without distinction". Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called the ECRI 'a useless body". Cottier regrets this response. "They had the impression that we denounced Italy and the Italian police by saying they committed racial profiling. In fact, we just asked the Italian government to assess the problem." The ECRI chair acknowledged that it is a delicate issue. "We don't want to counter the police. We know that we need them and we want to trust them. That's why it's sometimes very difficult to make states aware of this issue." The Council of Europe calls on all member states to take the issue of racial profiling seriously, prohibit it by law, better train police officers and hold police forces accountable. Heavy flooding in Romania's Harghita County — the worst in the past three decades — has led to critical conditions at the historical Praid salt mine, one of Europe's largest salt reserves and a major tourist attraction in the country, authorities said. According to County Prefect Petres Sandor, the inflow of water is uncontrollable. "We lost the fight with nature. The water has started to enter the salt mine again, with a flow that cannot be controlled at the moment," Sandor told local press. "Authorities will carry out an expertise as soon as possible to establish the condition of the walls, the pillars inside the mine, and to decide what to do next," he added. The Praid salt mine dates back to Roman times. In recent times, the attraction on the Via Transilvanica long-distance trail also served as a medical centre and a tourist destination, including an adventure park, a cinema, a small museum and other facilities, all located some 120 metres underground. The authorities are yet to determine the extent of the salt mine emergency and the impact of the flooding. "The situation is complicated. When water comes into contact with the salt, it immediately melts it and makes a hole," Sorin Rindasu, head of the Emergency Situations department in the Romanian Waters Administration, said. The flow of the Corund stream increased, resulting in the water further pouring into the mine, he added. Authorities say that although the situation is critical, the flooding will not destabilise the entire mine. "it would take quite a while for the water to dissolve so much salt inside to pose a problem of stability, we are talking about months, years, not days, weeks, in any case," Sandor said. In recent years, water leaks have already posed a problem to the mine, and authorities have carried out works to prevent infiltration. The Romanian government offered assistance to the region to deal with the emergency situation, and the ministry of economy assured the residents that it would make further investments to reduce the impact of the salt mine's flooding on Romanian tourism and reopen the mine for visitors.
TechCrunch
17-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Build, don't bind: Accel's Sonali De Rycker on Europe's AI crossroads
Sonali De Rycker, a general partner at Accel and one of Europe's most influential venture capitalists, is bullish about the continent's prospects in AI. But she's wary of regulatory overreach that could hamstring its momentum. At a TechCrunch StrictlyVC evening earlier this week in London, De Rycker reflected on Europe's place in the global AI race, balancing optimism with realism. 'We have all the pieces,' she told those gathered for the event. 'We have the entrepreneurs, we have the ambition, we have the schools, we have the capital, and we have the talent.' All that's missing, she argued, is the ability to 'unleash' that potential at scale. The obstacle? Europe's complex regulatory landscape and, in part, its pioneering but controversial Artificial Intelligence Act. De Rycker acknowledged that regulations have a role to play, especially in high-risk sectors like healthcare and finance. Still, she said she worries that the AI Act's broad reach and potentially stifling fines could deter innovation at the very moment European startups need space to iterate and grow. 'There's a real opportunity to make sure that we go fast and address what we're capable of,' she said. 'The issue is that we are also faced with headwinds on regulation.' The AI Act, which imposes stringent rules on applications deemed 'high risk,' from credit scoring to medical imaging, has raised red flags among investors like De Rycker. While the goals of ethical AI and consumer protection are laudable, she fears the net may be cast too wide, potentially discouraging early-stage experimentation and entrepreneurship. That urgency is amplified by shifting geopolitics. With U.S. support for Europe's defense and economic autonomy waning under the current Trump administration, De Rycker sees this moment as a decisive one for the EU. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW 'Now that Europe is being left to fend [for itself] in multiple ways,' she said. 'We need to be self-sufficient, we need to be sovereign.' That means unlocking Europe's full potential. De Rycker points to efforts like the '28th regime,'a framework aimed at creating a single set of rules for businesses across the EU, as crucial to creating a more unified, startup-friendly region. Currently, the mishmas of labor laws, licensing, and corporate structures across 27 countries creates friction and slows down progress. 'If we were truly one region, the power you could unleash would be incredible,' she said. 'We wouldn't be having these same conversations about Europe lagging in tech.' In De Rycker's view, Europe is slowly catching up—not just in innovation but in its cultural embrace of risk and experimentation. Cities like Zurich, Munich, Paris, and London are starting to generate their own self-reinforcing ecosystems thanks to top-tier academic institutions and a growing base of experienced founders. Accel, for its part, has invested in over 70 cities across Europe and Israel, giving De Rycker a front-row seat to the continent's fragmented but flourishing tech landscape. Still, on Tuesday night, she noted a stark contrast with the U.S. when it comes to adoption. 'We see a lot more propensity for customers to experiment with AI in the U.S.,' she said. 'They're spending money on these kinds of speculative, early-stage companies. That flywheel keeps going.' Accel's strategy reflects this reality. While the firm hasn't backed any of the major foundational AI model companies like OpenAI or Anthropic, it has focused instead on the application layer. 'We feel very comfortable with the application layer,' said De Rycker. 'These foundational models are capital intensive and don't really look like venture-backed companies.' Examples of promising bets include Synthesia, a video generation platform used in enterprise training, and Speak, a language learning app that recently jumped to a $1 billion valuation. De Rycker sees these as early examples of how AI can create entirely new behaviors and business models, not just incrementally improve existing ones. 'We're expanding total addressable markets at a rate we've never seen,' she said. 'It feels like the early days of mobile. DoorDash and Uber weren't just mobilized websites. They were brand new paradigms.' Ultimately, De Rycker sees this moment as both a challenge and a once-in-a-generation opportunity. If Europe leans too heavily into regulation, it risks stifling the innovation that could help it compete globally – not just in AI, but across the entire tech spectrum. 'We're in a supercycle,' she said. 'These cycles don't come often, and we can't afford to be leashed.' With geopolitical uncertainty rising and the U.S. increasingly inward-looking, Europe has little choice but to bet on itself. Whether it can do so without tying its own hands remains to be seen. But if the continent can strike the right balance, De Rycker believes it has everything it needs to lead, and not just follow, in the AI revolution. Asked by an attendee what EU founders can do to be more competitive with their U.S. counterparts, De Rycker didn't hesitate. 'I think they are competitive,' she said, citing companies Accel has backed, including Supercell and Spotify. 'These founders, they look no different.' You can catch catch the full conversation with De Rycker here :
