EU rejects tech industry push to delay landmark AI Act, confirms timeline

The European Union has firmly rejected calls from more than a hundred global tech companies to postpone its landmark AI legislation, confirming that the planned timeline for implementation remains intact, Reuters reported Friday.

Major players including Alphabet, Meta, Mistral AI, and ASML recently urged the European Commission to delay the rollout of the AI Act, warning it could undermine Europe’s competitiveness in the fast-moving artificial intelligence sector.

However, the European Commission pushed back strongly. “There is no stop the clock. There is no grace period. There is no pause,” said Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier, reaffirming the EU’s commitment to its regulatory roadmap.

The AI Act, adopted last year, establishes a risk-based framework for artificial intelligence. It outright bans certain “unacceptable risk” practices, such as cognitive behavioral manipulation and social scoring. It also imposes strict requirements on “high-risk” applications, such as those in biometrics, facial recognition, education, and employment, requiring developers to register their systems and comply with risk and quality management standards to access the EU market.

Lower-risk applications, like chatbots, fall into a “limited risk” category and are subject to lighter transparency requirements.

The EU began rolling out the AI Act in phases last year, with full enforcement expected by mid-2026. The legislation is seen as a global benchmark in regulating AI, even as industry leaders warn of its potential impact on innovation and competitiveness.