EU CEOs want to stall the AI Act

Snapshot

• Over 45 firms urge two-year “clock-stop” on AI Act enforcement
• Delay sought until AI standards mature
• Swedish PM says rules are “confusing"

More than 45 European companies, including Google owner Alphabet and Meta, have called on the European Commission to pause key provisions of the EU AI Act.

The Act is due to take effect next month, on August 2.

An open letter from the group of CEOs called for a two-year “clock-stop”, enough time to allow guidance and standards to mature.

The Act will require general-purpose AI models to comply on transparency, bias testing, and robust documentation.

EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen has previously promised the Code by 10 July.

Elsewhere, Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson has described the new rules as “confusing” and warned they could hamper innovation or limit market availability of AI applications.