Over 100 companies, including major tech players, have signed the EU’s AI Pact to promote responsible AI use, despite notable absences from giants like Apple and Meta.
EU’s AI Pact Gains Momentum Amid Mixed Industry Response
Brussels, Belgium – More than 100 companies have now signed the European Union’s AI Pact, pledging to leverage artificial intelligence responsibly. Among the major players in the tech industry committing to this initiative are Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. However, notable absences include tech giants Apple and Meta, as well as the French firm Mistral and the popular video-sharing platform TikTok.
The AI Pact has been established to delineate a set of voluntary commitments aimed at fostering ethical and responsible development of AI technology. Companies signing the pact agree to adhere to three primary actions: developing a robust AI governance strategy, identifying AI systems that may be categorised as high-risk, and promoting AI literacy among their staff.
This voluntary pact is seen as a precursor to the EU’s AI Act, which took effect across all 27 EU member states on 1 August 2024. Although the majority of enforcement actions for the Act will not commence until August 2026, the Act itself is set to impose sweeping regulatory measures on AI systems, categorising them based on their risk levels: minimal, limited, high, and unacceptable.
The AI Act mandates that minimal risk systems, such as spam filters, are exempt from obligations. Limited risk systems, such as chatbots, must maintain transparency by notifying users that they are interacting with AI. High-risk AI systems, employed in critical areas like medical diagnostics and recruitment, are subject to stringent regulatory requirements. Unacceptable risk systems, including those used for social scoring, are outright banned under this new legislation.
Among the companies that have abstained from signing the AI Pact are Apple and Meta. Apple, in particular, which has been slower in adopting AI technology compared to rivals, has recently unveiled its Apple Intelligence platform, set to be a key feature in its latest devices, including the iPhone 16. Meta, on the other hand, has vocally opposed tighter AI regulations, arguing that recent regulatory decisions have been fragmented and unpredictable.
The reluctance of some tech firms to engage in the AI Pact raises questions about the long-term implications as the AI Act begins to reshape the regulatory landscape in the EU. Furthermore, firms that fail to comply with the AI Act could face severe penalties. Violations involving banned uses of AI may incur fines up to 7% of a company’s global annual revenue. Other non-compliance issues could result in penalties up to 3%, and providing incorrect information to regulators could attract fines up to 1.5%.
This initiative was initially unveiled in May 2023 by Thierry Breton, the then-internal market commissioner. Since its inception, Google has played a supportive role in collaborating with regulators to champion the initiative.
As the EU continues to build its regulatory framework around artificial intelligence, the AI Pact serves as both a symbol and a practical step towards ensuring that emerging technologies develop in a manner aligned with ethical standards and societal well-being.
Source: Noah Wire Services
