The European Commission has rejected calls from a coalition of major European companies to delay the implementation of its landmark AI Act. A commission spokesperson confirmed that the rules will be rolled out according to the established legal timeline, with no pause or grace period.
The statement followed a letter from over 45 organizations, including ASML, Airbus, and Mistral AI, sent to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The group asked for a two-year postponement of rules for general-purpose AI models and high-risk systems. In the letter, business leaders argued that the regulation puts Europe’s competitiveness and AI ambitions at risk.
Companies have complained that the commission is behind schedule in providing key implementation guidelines. They cited delays in the “code of practice,” a set of voluntary instructions meant to help companies comply with the law. This code has faced criticism from both technology firms and the US government for allegedly creating new, burdensome rules.
Despite these concerns, the commission is proceeding as planned:
- August 2025: Obligations for general-purpose AI models, such as those from OpenAI or Mistral, are set to begin.
- August 2026: Rules for systems classified as “high-risk” will take effect.
The AI Act requires developers to be transparent about how their models are trained and to respect copyright law. Companies failing to comply face fines of up to 7% of their global annual sales.