Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has refused to sign the European Union's code of practice for general-purpose artificial intelligence (GPAI) models. The company's Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, stated that the code introduces "legal uncertainties" and "measures which go far beyond the scope of the AI Act". Kaplan believes that the EU's approach will "throttle the development and deployment of frontier AI models in Europe" and "stunt European companies looking to build businesses on top of" AI models.
The EU's code of practice is a voluntary framework designed to help companies comply with the bloc's AI Act, which regulates companies operating in the European Union. The code requires signatories to publish summaries of training content for their AI models, adhere to EU copyright laws, and prohibit the use of pirated content in AI training. Companies that sign the code will benefit from reduced administrative burdens and increased legal certainty, while those that don't sign will have to demonstrate other means of compliance and may face more regulatory scrutiny.
Meta's decision to decline signing the code reflects the company's concerns about the potential impact of the regulations on innovation and growth. The company has previously criticized the AI Act, calling it "unpredictable" and stating that it "goes too far" in restricting innovation. Other major tech companies, including Microsoft, are considering signing the code, while OpenAI has already expressed its intention to sign.
The EU's AI Act is set to take effect on August 2, 2025, with full compliance required by August 2, 2027. Meta's refusal to sign the code signals mounting industry resistance to the EU's AI regulatory agenda and highlights the ongoing debate about the balance between innovation and regulation in the development of AI technologies.
