Big Tech warns EU lawmakers that the AI Act is out of date

Senior executives from Microsoft and Google have publicly questioned whether the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) remains fit for purpose, leading to disagreements from top European Commission officials at an international AI summit in Dublin.

Speaking to Politico, Microsoft President Brad Smith urged European regulators to reconsider the Act's relevance. Smith noted that as technology evolves and underlying circumstances change, regulations often require formal reinterpretation to remain applicable. Meanwhile, Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google's DeepMind, warned during an appearance at the summit that legislation drafted three years ago risks becoming obsolete today, arguing that outdated frameworks fail to address contemporary technological challenges. The remarks are a notable departure from previous resistance to regulatory oversight, as leading US technology companies pressure governments around the world for targeted interventions to mitigate AI risks.

In response, Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen defended the Act, saying the legislation is well equipped to govern modern security risks and address emerging autonomous AI agents. While acknowledging that AI agents weren't mainstream during initial negotiations in 2023, the Commission maintained that its risk-based model ensures the rules remain legally effective.

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