EU AI CODE OF CONDUCT POSSIBLY DELAYED UNTIL MAY AMID CAUTION FROM TECH GIANTS

The European Commission has postponed the release of the EU's new rules for developers and users of artificial intelligence (AI) models—such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and the Midjourney photo app—by at least a month.

The Code of Practice (CoP) on General Purpose AI, which aims to help companies comply with the EU's AI Act regarding transparency and copyright, is now expected to be released no earlier than May.

Euronews has learned from sources involved in the matter that the delay is due to the chairs of the various working groups, tasked with drafting the code, requesting additional time to incorporate feedback received on the text from various stakeholders.

In September, the EU Commission appointed a group of independent European, Canadian, and US experts to work on drafting the code. Around a thousand experts participated in the first session.

The third draft of the code was originally scheduled for publication by February 17, but it may now arrive in March. Further working group meetings, workshops, and a plenary session will follow before the final text is submitted.

Delay Welcomed by Internet Giants

The EU AI Act, which came into force last August, sets strict rules for providers of AI models. Most provisions will apply from August 2025, but the law will only be fully enforceable two years later.

The Commission may decide to formalize the CoP under the AI Act through an implementing act. Some industry players have welcomed the delay, including the lobbying group Dot Europe, which represents companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, and TikTok.

"Given the importance of the Code, we appreciate more time being taken to ensure its high quality. We hope this does not come at the expense of stakeholders having enough time to comment on the next draft," Elias Papadopoulos, policy director at Dot Europe, told Euronews.

"While we believe granting more time to the drafters is a positive development, we are concerned that the overall timelines remain extremely tight," confirmed Hadrien Valembois, head of European policy at the Business Software Alliance.

Last month, a group of 15 different European content rights holders' organizations—including News Media Europe, the Federation of European Publishers, and the European Publishers Council—warned the Commission that the current draft of the CoP contradicts copyright law.

News Media Europe (NME) stated that the text should be "urgently revised." The delay in integrating the submitted feedback "is not a surprise," Iacob Gammeltoft, senior policy manager at NME, told Euronews.

"For print publishers, it is better to have a delayed but correct code than a code that completely dilutes the intellectual property rules provided for by copyright law and the AI Act itself," Gammeltoft stated.