EU isn't done with its AI Act yet
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
Negotiations around the EU's AI Act are getting longer and more complicated.
Why it matters: Governments and tech companies around the world have been waiting for months for the final text of the world's first comprehensive and democratic AI regulation need to wait a bit longer.
- While a Dec. 8 political deal confirmed the regulation will come into force, a final text will only be available in early February — and some elements of the regulation may not be in force until 2027.
What's happening: At a debriefing on the deal held among EU national governments on Friday, four of the largest countries — Germany, France, Italy and Poland — insisted they would not sign off on the deal until a final text is ready.
What they're saying: France's digital minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, has taken to referring to the Dec. 8 deal as merely a "step" in the negotiation process, warning that France will continue to negotiate in favor of innovators and national security interests on the final details.
- One of the main negotiators of the deal, European Parliament member Eva Maydell, tells Axios there's no need for panic, and explained details on the timeline for enforcement of the regulation.
- "The entry into force will vary gradually based on the type of use case," she said, with enforcement delays ranging from 6 months to 36 months after the regulation in finally approved.
- Prohibited practices face the shortest enforcement delay: 6 months.
- High-risk uses of AI — such as credit scoring and those involving education and employment decisions — are set to be subject to a 24-month delay.
- Rules for the use of AI in fields that are already highly regulated, such as medical technology and transport, won't kick in for 36 months.
Yes, but: The EU's processes are a 27-country negotiation — never easy.
- Reasons for delays in finalizing EU regulation range from incomplete deals announced for political reasons to the practical: It takes weeks to finalize legally precise translations into the EU's 24 official languages.
