The European Union has officially published a voluntary code of practice for general-purpose artificial intelligence (GPAI), offering companies guidance on how to align with the bloc’s landmark AI Act ahead of enforcement beginning in August.
According to The AP, the new code is designed to help thousands of businesses using AI technologies, such as chatbots and language models, better understand and meet the upcoming regulatory requirements.
This voluntary framework is not a replacement for the AI Act, but complements it by focusing on three core areas: transparency obligations for AI developers, copyright protections for content used in training models, and safety standards for the most advanced AI systems. The AI Act itself categorises AI systems according to the level of risk they pose, with high-risk and unacceptable use cases subject to the strictest rules or outright bans.
The rules surrounding GPAI are set to come into effect on 2 August, although enforcement by the EU’s AI Office—part of the European Commission—is not expected to begin for at least a year. Violations of the AI Act could lead to fines of up to €35m or 7% of a company’s global turnover, whichever is higher.
The code’s publication comes amid growing tension between regulators and industry players. Several Big Tech firms, including Meta, have argued that the current EU regulatory landscape is too burdensome and may stifle innovation. U.S. politicians have also weighed in, with Vice President JD Vance warning in February that the bloc’s “excessive regulation” risks killing off a “transformative industry.”
Adding to the pressure, more than 40 European companies—including major corporates like Airbus, Mercedes-Benz and Philips, as well as AI startups like Mistral—recently called on the EU to delay the implementation of the AI Act by two years. In an open letter, they argued that the patchwork of “unclear, overlapping and increasingly complex” rules could jeopardise Europe’s position in the global AI race. Despite this plea, the Commission has shown no signs of postponing the regulation.
European Commission executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy Henna Virkkunen said, “Today’s publication of the final version of the Code of Practice for general-purpose AI marks an important step in making the most advanced AI models available in Europe not only innovative but also safe and transparent.”
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