EU says it will continue rolling out AI legislation on schedule

Brussels, Belgium – The European Union announced on Friday its unwavering commitment to the scheduled implementation of its landmark Artificial Intelligence (AI) legislation, pushing back against a widespread campaign by over a hundred leading tech companies advocating for a delay. This steadfast position was confirmed by Reuters.

Global tech giants, including Alphabet, Meta, Mistral AI, and ASML, have been vocal in their appeal to the European Commission to postpone the rollout of the AI Act. Their primary concern has been that the stringent regulations could potentially hinder Europe’s competitive edge in the rapidly evolving and highly dynamic AI landscape.

In a definitive statement, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier left no room for ambiguity: “I’ve 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.” This emphatic declaration underscores the EU’s resolve to proceed as planned.

The AI Act represents a pioneering risk-based regulatory framework for artificial intelligence applications. It explicitly bans certain “unacceptable risk” use cases, such as manipulative cognitive behavioral techniques or social scoring systems. Furthermore, it meticulously defines “high-risk” applications, encompassing areas like biometrics, facial recognition technology, and AI deployed in critical sectors such as education and employment. Developers of these high-risk systems will be required to register them and adhere to rigorous risk and quality management protocols to access the expansive EU market.

Conversely, a separate category of AI applications, designated as “limited risk” – including common chatbots – will be subject to lighter, albeit essential, transparency obligations.

The European Union initiated the staggered rollout of the AI Act last year, with the comprehensive set of rules anticipated to be fully enforced by mid-2026. This phased approach aims to allow for adaptation while ensuring timely implementation of critical safeguards.