Meta has declined to sign the European Union's voluntary AI code of practice, raising concerns about the EU's approach to AI regulation. Meta's chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, stated that the code introduces legal uncertainties and exceeds the scope of the AI Act, potentially hindering AI development in Europe.
The EU's code of practice is designed to help companies comply with the AI Act by providing guidelines on documentation, copyright compliance, transparency, and safety testing. It also prohibits training AI models on pirated content and requires respect for copyright holders' requests to exclude their work from training data. While voluntary, the code is viewed by European regulators as crucial for ethical AI development.
Meta stands alone among major US tech firms in rejecting the code, with companies like OpenAI and Mistral having already signed on. This decision highlights the growing divide between US technology companies and European regulators regarding AI oversight, with some arguing that the EU's requirements stifle innovation and delay product launches.
