Google Joins EU Code for Powerful AI Models, Rebuffed by Meta

Google will join the EU's code of practice for powerful AI models, along with OpenAI and Mistral, but Meta has declined to sign. The code aims to regulate the most advanced AI models, including Google's Gemini. Google's president of global affairs, Kent Walker, warned that the rules "risk slowing Europe's development and deployment of AI." The rules are set to come into effect on August 2.

Google has announced its intention to sign the European Union's (EU) code of practice for powerful AI models, joining OpenAI and Mistral in the effort. This comes as the EU aims to regulate the most advanced AI models, including Google's Gemini, with the code set to come into effect on August 2. However, Meta has declined to sign the code, citing legal uncertainties and measures that extend beyond the AI Act.

Google's president of global affairs, Kent Walker, expressed concerns that the rules could slow Europe's development and deployment of AI. He noted that departures from EU copyright law, steps that slow approvals, or requirements that expose trade secrets could chill European model development and deployment, potentially harming Europe's competitiveness [1].

The EU's code of practice aims to provide legal certainty to signatories on how to meet requirements under the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), such as issuing summaries of the content used to train their general-purpose AI models and complying with EU copyright law. The code is designed to support organizations in aligning with the AI Act ahead of its full enforcement [2].

Meta, a vocal critic of the EU's digital rules, has stated that the code introduces a number of legal uncertainties for model developers and measures that go beyond the scope of the AI Act. The company has instead chosen to focus on developing its own set of guidelines for AI ethics and responsible development [3].

The EU's initiative represents a significant step in its efforts to close the AI gap with the United States and China. The European Union plans a massive $30 billion investment in gigawatt AI data centers, aiming to host over 100,000 AI GPUs per site. This initiative seeks to leverage Europe's strong talent base and address the challenge of limited access to computing power [4].

Despite the ambitious plans, several challenges loom for the EU's AI infrastructure initiative. These include power supply requirements, sustainability concerns, and the need for a viable business model to run these data centers profitably [4].

References:
[1] https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/google-sign-eus-ai-code-practice-despite-concerns-2025-07-30/
[2] https://theoutpost.ai/news-story/eu-s-30-billion-ai-boost-gigawatt-data-centers-to-rival-us-and-china-18364/
[3] https://hellopartner.com/2025/07/24/meta-refuses-to-sign-eu-ai-code-of-practice-in-shocking-statement/
[4] https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/google-joins-eu-code-for-powerful-ai-models-rebuffed-by-meta-11753864225759.html