The call adds to ongoing concerns about the short timeframe in which companies will have to comply with a set of voluntary rules on general-purpose AI.
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CEOs from more than 40 European companies including ASML, Philips, Siemens and Mistral, are asking for a “two-year clock-stop” on the AI Act before key obligations enter into force this August.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, made public on Thursday, they say this would allow “both for reasonable implementation by companies, and for further simplification of the new rules.”
The AI Act – rules that regulate artificial intelligence systems according to the risk they pose to society – entered into force in August 2024, but will fully apply in 2027.
The companies call for a pause on obligations on high-risk AI systems, due to take effect as of August 2026, and to obligations for general-purpose AI models (GPAI), due to enter into force as of August 2025.
“This postponement, coupled with a commitment to prioritise regulatory quality over speed, would send innovators and investors around the world a strong signal that Europe is serious about its simplification and competitiveness agenda,” the letter says.
The call comes as the Code of Practice on GPAI, a voluntary set of rules aiming to help providers of AI models, such as ChatGPT and Gemini, comply with the EU’s AI Act, is yet to be released.
The rules enter into force on 2 August, and the Commission has said it will publish the guidelines before that date.
However, Euronews reported earlier this week that several companies including Google have been asking for a grace period to be able to comply with the code.
Thomas Regnier, the Commission spokesperson on digital, told Euronews that what is being discussed in the context of the AI Board is "the timing to implement the Code of Practice, with the end of 2025 being considered."
"This would be well ahead of the AI Act's enforcement deadlines - 2026 for new models and 2027 for existing models," he added.
The process has been criticised since Commission-appointed experts started drafting the rules in September 2024. Tech giants as well as publishers and rights-holders are concerned that the rules violate the EU’s Copyright laws, and restrict innovation.
