The European Commission is sticking to its planned implementation of the AI Act. This is despite lobbying from companies such as ASML and Mistral for a two-year pause. The first obligations will take effect in August.
“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,” said spokesperson Thomas Regnier at a press conference on Friday. He emphasized that the legal deadlines are set in the text of the law.
The spokesperson made it clear that the European Commission is rejecting the wishes of 46 CEOs who on Thursday asked for a two-year pause on the AI Act.
Pressure from the business community
The call for a pause came from a broad spectrum of European companies. In addition to technology companies such as ASML and Mistral, Airbus, Siemens Energy, and supermarket chain Carrefour also backed the #stoptheclock campaign. Smaller AI players such as ElevenLabs and Cradle also supported the open letter.
The CEOs warned of unclear, overlapping, and increasingly complex EU regulations. Their concerns focus primarily on the potential impact on European competitiveness in the global AI race.
Step-by-step implementation
The AI Act will come into force in phases. Specific provisions already came into effect in February. The next step involves the obligations for general-purpose AI models, which will take effect in August 2025. “And next year, we have the obligations for high risk models that will kick in in August, 2026,” Regnier explained.
This step-by-step approach should provide companies with sufficient time to adapt. However, several tech companies fear that the new rules will hamper innovation. They point to the complexity and ambiguity of certain aspects of the legislation.
European Commissioner leaves door open
Despite the Commission’s firm statements, some uncertainty remains. Finnish European Commissioner Henna Virkkunen had previously indicated that she would decide whether the AI Act should be postponed. If certain standards and guidelines are not ready in time, she said she was prepared to set aside parts of the law temporarily.
The final decision rests with the European institutions. For now, the Commission is sticking to the original timetable, which means that companies must prepare for the upcoming obligations.