EU considers revising AI regulations to address emerging challenges
The European Union’s landmark artificial intelligence regulations are barely a year old, yet Brussels is already indicating its willingness to adjust them in response to pressure from the industry.
When legislators reached a deal on the world-first law to tackle artificial intelligence risks in late 2023, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised it as “a historic moment” — reflecting the strong political focus on keeping the nascent technology in check, News.Az reports citing Politico.
Much has changed. The new U.S. administration has urged Europe to go easy on regulating AI as Washington sends shockwaves through the economy with massive and unpredictable tariffs. Von der Leyen, meanwhile, has now embraced AI as a way to restore Europe's competitiveness and also its independence as the continent ramps up efforts to compete with the U.S. and beyond.
On Wednesday, the Commission took the latest step in a weeks-long effort to woo the tech industry with a new strategy promoting AI rules that are easier to obey.
“When we want to boost investments in AI, we have to make sure that we have an environment that is faster and simpler than the European Union is right now,” the Commission’s tech chief Henna Virkkunen told European Parliament lawmakers after unveiling the strategy.
Brussels didn’t go all in to praise and defend its rulebooks. The focus was instead on preventing the EU’s AI regulations from turning into another burden for companies — a narrative pushed by Big Tech lobby groups and industry frontrunners as a major concern as they figure out how to implement the laws.
Speaking to reporters, Virkkunen “committed” to the AI Act’s main goals but said the Commission is looking into the “administrative burden” and considering “some reporting obligations [that] we could cut.”
The Commission will seek industry views “where regulatory uncertainty is hindering the development and the adoption of AI,” and feed that into a wider effort to review and possibly roll back a swathe of digital rulebooks at the end of this year.
“Nothing is excluded,” said a senior Commission official on Wednesday when asked about the scope of the review during a briefing for reporters.
Confirmation that amending the AI law is not off the table is the latest appeasement after the Commission in February moved to ax plans to set strict liability rules for harm caused by AI.
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