As the EU Parliament celebrates being the first to pass a pervasive global framework for AI regulation, the global startup community cautiously awaits the interpretation and implementation of many unclear aspects of the AI Act.
The danger that these laws – which will apply to all companies that deploy AI in EU member states – may ultimately push startups out of the bloc is real. This might then achieve the very opposite of what the Act was designed to do.
Like many recent initiatives regarding AI safety, the passing of the AI Act reflects a broader trend: major political powers – Europe, the UK, the US and China – are vying to establish themselves as the dominant force in AI regulation. The stated aim of establishing a mature, safe and internally consistent market for AI companies is intertwined with states’ political goals of being the first to regulate AI....