European Union countries and European Parliament lawmakers have agreed on a softened version of the bloc’s landmark artificial intelligence rules, including delayed implementation, in a move critics say reflects growing concessions to major technology firms.
The provisional agreement was reached on Thursday after nine hours of negotiations and still requires formal approval by EU governments and the European Parliament in the coming months.
Marilena Raouna, Cyprus’s deputy minister for European affairs, said the agreement would ease pressure on businesses. In a statement, she said the revised AI Act would “significantly support our companies by reducing recurring administrative costs”. Cyprus currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
The revisions form part of a broader European Commission push to simplify new digital regulations, following complaints from companies about overlapping rules and administrative burdens that they say limit their ability to compete with rivals in the U.S. and Asia.
The AI Act entered into force in August 2024, with enforcement originally planned in stages. Under the new agreement, rules covering high-risk AI systems - including those used in biometrics, critical infrastructure and law enforcement - will now apply from 2 December 2027, instead of the earlier 2 August deadline.
Negotiators also agreed to remove machinery from the scope of the AI Act, arguing that existing sector-specific rules already apply. The decision reflects sustained lobbying from industry groups.
Lawmakers also agreed to ban artificial intelligence systems that create unauthorised sexually explicit images. The move follows concerns over content produced by the X-AI chatbot Grok, owned by Elon Musk, including sexually explicit deepfake imagery.
The ban will take effect from 2 December.
Dutch lawmaker Kim van Sparrentak welcomed the decision, saying it marked an important step in protecting users. “By the end of this year, everyone - especially women and girls - will be safe from horrific nudifier apps being widely available on the EU market,” she said.
Mandatory watermarking of content generated by artificial intelligence systems will also come into force from 2 December.
Despite the delays and exemptions, EU officials say the rules remain the most comprehensive artificial intelligence regulatory framework in the world. The legislation was originally introduced amid concerns about the impact of AI on children, workers, businesses and cybersecurity.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad sayin...
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port o...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would “love” to see British-run Northern Ireland unify...
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Mexico and the U.S. are racing to secure a trade deal before the U.S. midterm elections in less than eight weeks, according to six sources familiar with the talks, with failed negotiations between Washington and Canada adding urgency.
A Russian strike on a gas station in Kyiv has killed two people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on Telegram. In Russia, online marketplace Ozon has suspended operations in Saratov, southwestern Russia, following a drone strike on a warehouse in the region.
GITEX AI Türkiye opened in Istanbul on Wednesday, bringing the international technology exhibition network to the country for the first time.
A former OpenAI and Anthropic researcher has quit his job with a stark warning: the companies building some of the world’s most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) systems are racing towards technology they themselves fear could threaten humanity.
Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton has warned against rushing to develop artificial superintelligence, arguing that scientists still do not know how to ensure systems more capable than humans remain safe and under control.
The United States and China are preparing to hold their first official bilateral talks focused exclusively on artificial intelligence as concerns grow over the risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems.
AI may live in the cloud, but the infrastructure powering it is anything but virtual. As data centres consume ever more electricity and water, the race is on to find new ways to keep the machines running.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment