CEOs of major companies have asked the European Commission to postpone the AI Act. “No pause”, the Commission makes clear.
In an open letter seen by the Financial Times, CEOs of 44 large European companies have asked the European Commission to postpone the entry into force of the AI Act by two years. Via Reuters, the European Commission makes it known that they shouldn’t count on it.
Two-Year Pause
The letter states that European companies are asking for a two-year pause. They warn that the complex rules “jeopardize AI ambitions, as they endanger both the development of European leaders and the global ability to deploy AI”. With two extra years, large companies would have time to develop the right standards.
Under Pressure
The US government, Big Tech, and European groups are also critical of the AI Act and are pressuring Europe. They view it as the strictest law in the world, and the code of conduct, in particular, is under fire. The Commission is working on an adapted and softened code of conduct, which is expected to be published before the August deadline.
It states that it is “fully committed to the key objectives of the AI Act, including establishing harmonized risk-based rules across the EU and ensuring the safety of AI systems on the European market.”
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No Pause
Despite pressure from various quarters, the European Commission stands firm. The AI Act will come into effect as planned. “Let me be as clear as possible: the clock cannot be stopped. There is no grace period. There is no pause”, a spokesperson makes clear
This article originally appeared on July 3 and was updated with the latest information.