Brussels, Belgium. EU countries and European Parliament lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on proposed changes to the bloc’s artificial intelligence rules after 12 hours of talks on Tuesday. Negotiations are expected to resume next month.
Proposed changes tied to Digital Omnibus
The changes relate to the AI Act, which entered into force in August 2024, with key elements set to be enforced in stages starting this year. The revisions form part of the European Commission’s Digital Omnibus initiative, aimed at simplifying digital-sector rules to help businesses compete with U.S. and Asian rivals.
Europe’s AI rules are considered among the strictest in the world and were introduced amid concerns about the technology’s impact on children, workers, companies and cybersecurity.
“It was not possible to reach an agreement with the European Parliament,” a Cypriot official said. Cyprus currently holds the rotating EU Council presidency.
Lawmakers criticise outcome
Dutch lawmaker Kim van Sparrentak criticised the failure to reach a deal.
“Big Tech is probably popping champagne. While European companies that care about safety and did their homework now face regulatory chaos,” she said in a statement.
People with direct knowledge of the negotiations said the next round of discussions will likely take place in two weeks.
Key sticking point and scope of rules
Those people said the talks, which began at 1100 GMT on Tuesday, were held up by demands from some countries and some lawmakers to exempt industries already subject to sector-specific regulation, such as product safety rules, from the AI legislation.
The AI regulation sets stricter requirements for the use of AI in “high-risk” areas including biometric identification, utilities supply, health, creditworthiness and law enforcement.
Other laws included in Omnibus package
The Digital Omnibus package also includes the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the e-Privacy Directive and the Data Act, among other measures.
What exemptions, if any, do you think should apply to sectors already covered by existing safety regulations?