EU countries and European Parliament lawmakers have failed to reach a deal on weakened landmark artificial intelligence rules after 12 hours of negotiations and deliberations will begin next month.
The European Commission’s Digital Omnibus, which aims to simplify a number of regulations in the digital sector to help businesses catch up with rivals in the United States and Asia, includes the changes to the AI Act, which went into effect in August 2024 with key elements set to be enforced in stages starting this year.
Concerns over the technology’s effects on children, workers, businesses and cybersecurity led to the implementation of Europe’s AI regulations, which are thought to be the harshest in the world.
A Cypriot official stated, “It was not possible to reach an agreement with the European Parliament.” The rotational presidency of the EU Council is currently held by Cyprus.
Kim van Sparrentak, a Dutch MP, blasted the inability to come to an agreement.
”Big Tech is most likely celebrating. In a statement, she said, “European businesses that are concerned about safety and did their homework now face regulatory chaos.”
The next round of talks is expected to take place in two weeks, according to people with firsthand knowledge of the negotiations.
They said that certain nations and parliamentarians’ desire that industries currently subject to sectoral regulations, such product safety rules, should be exempt from the AI legislation hindered the negotiations, which began on Tuesday at 1100 GMT.
The AI regulation lays out more stringent guidelines for the application of the technology in “high-risk” domains such law enforcement, biometric identification, energy supply, health and creditworthiness.
The Data Act, the e-Privacy Directive, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are all included in the Omnibus package.
Civil rights organisations and privacy advocates have criticised proposed revisions to the AI Act and these laws for bowing into Big Tech.
