In a joint letter to the European Commission, Tech companies have requested that the deadlines for compliance with the general-purpose artificial intelligence (GPAI) Act be extended.
Due to the summer recess, the organizations, which include the Computer & Communications Industry Association, AmChamEU, The Software Alliance, and DOT Europe, request additional time on August 9.
Concerns regarding compliance
The companies stated that the current season “presents substantial challenges and restricts the capacity of [their] associations to make meaningful contributions.”
They suggested extending the consultation deadline by at least two weeks to achieve superior outcomes.
The European Union Commission’s AI division commenced a call for feedback on July 30 and intends to continue until September 10. The consultation enables industry stakeholders to provide input on the topics the Code of Practice addresses.
The companies expressed their awareness of the EU’s brief timeline for instituting regulations regarding GPAI models; however, they maintain that “quality should take precedence over speed.”
“Given that the proper implementation of the AI Act’s rules on GPAI will be crucial to the success of the EU AI ecosystem, including for the companies we represent, our aim is to provide high-quality responses and constructive contributions to this consultation…”
Ultimately, the consultation’s findings will bolster the development of the forthcoming Code of Practice for GPAI model providers.
EU AI Act
The EU’s AI Act was formally implemented on August 1 to regulate the development and deployment of AI models within the region based on the risk they pose to society.
Expected to commence in February 2025, the initial set of regulations is the “Prohibitions of Certain AI Systems.”
Implementing these regulations will prevent AI applications from exploiting individual vulnerabilities, engaging in non-targeted gathering of facial images from the internet or CCTV footage, and generating facial recognition databases without consent.
Subsequently, in August 2025, a new set of requirements for general-purpose AI models will be implemented.
August 2025 will mark the implementation of regulations that regulate GPAI, one year following the enforcement of the legislation. GPAI systems are designed to perform various tasks rather than being employed for unique and specific purposes, such as image identification.
