The CEOs of Siemens and SAP have strongly criticized European AI legislation. They argue that the current rules hinder innovation and that Europe is losing ground as a result. A revision of the regulatory framework is necessary to support technological progress.
The two executives made these comments in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The AI Act is intended to ensure that AI systems are safe, transparent, and ethical. At the same time, companies fear that the rules will undermine their innovative strength.
Recently, 46 European CEOs asked for a two-year delay for the AI Act. Although several companies, including Google and Meta, sent a letter to Brussels asking for the rules to be postponed, Siemens CEO Roland Busch refused to sign the letter at the time. He felt that the proposal did not go far enough.
The timeline for the AI Act remains unchanged for now. The European Commission has made it clear that there will be no “stop the clock.” The first obligations for general-purpose AI models will come into effect in August.
EU AI Act too restrictive
The EU AI Act classifies AI applications into risk categories. Providers must comply with security and transparency requirements. Siemens CEO Roland Busch sees this legislation as a major reason why Europe is lagging. “We are sitting on a treasure trove of data in Europe, but we are not yet able to tap into it,” Busch told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. “It’s not access to computing capacity that we’re currently lacking, but the release of resources.”
The problem goes beyond the AI Act alone. Busch also called the Data Act “toxic” for the development of digital business models. This law imposes obligations on how companies handle consumer and business data.
SAP CEO Christian Klein warned against simply copying the US approach. He emphasized that Europe should not just invest in infrastructure and data centers. Infrastructure deficits are not the main barrier in Europe, Klein said.
According to both CEOs, the real opportunity lies in reforming data rules before investing in data centers. The coming months will be crucial for how Europe shapes its technological ambition.