Google and Meta Execs Blast Europe Over Strict AI Regulation

In a recent development, executives from tech giants Google and Meta have publicly criticized Europe's approach to regulating artificial intelligence (AI), arguing that the bloc's strict rules could stifle innovation and put European companies at a disadvantage on the global stage. Their concerns come as the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) move forward with AI regulations, with the EU's AI Act and the UK's Digital Markets Act being particularly contentious.

At the Techarena tech conference in Stockholm, Sweden, public policy chiefs from both Google and Meta used the stage as a platform to voice their concerns about the bloc's strict approach to regulating technologies such as AI and machine learning. Chris Yiu, Meta's director of public policy, stated that there is now broad consensus that European regulation around technology has its issues, with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) being too fragmented and the AI Act going too far. He argued that the net result of these regulations is that products get delayed or watered down, causing European citizens and consumers to suffer.

Meta has experienced firsthand the impact of Europe's regulatory environment, with the company facing delays in rolling out AI features for its Ray-Ban Meta glasses due to the need to reach compliance with the AI Act's complex regulatory system. Meta previously expressed concerns about its ability to comply with the AI Act, flagging unpredictable implementation as a core issue. The firm also cited GDPR-related concerns surrounding the use of Instagram and Facebook user data to train AI models, which held up the launch of its glasses in EU countries.

Dorothy Chou, Google DeepMind's head of public policy, echoed Meta's concerns, highlighting the key problem with Europe's approach to regulating artificial intelligence technology: the AI Act was devised before ChatGPT had even come out. She argued that regulating on a time scale that doesn't match the technology can make it difficult to ensure responsible application of technology while also allowing the industry to thrive in the right ways.

Big Tech firms have been upping their rhetoric against the EU's approach to tech regulation and ramping up lobbying efforts to soften aspects of the AI Act. Kent Walker, Google's president of global affairs, criticized the EU's code of practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models, stating that it was a "step in the wrong direction." Meta's newly appointed Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, suggested that the tech giant would not sign up to the code of practice in its current form, as it goes "beyond the requirements" of the AI Act and imposes "unworkable and technically unfeasible requirements."

Tech giants' pleas for softer EU tech regulation have been emboldened by President Donald Trump's new administration, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance blasting Europe for being too heavily focused on regulating artificial intelligence rather than embracing the technology's growth potential. Harmonizing EU rules for startups has also been a topic of discussion, with venture capitalists investing in European tech startups decried complex regulatory compliance burdens on their portfolio companies.

Antoine Moyroud, a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, stated that whereas the U.S. has been pushing forward initiatives such as the $500 billion Stargate investment project that strikes a "hopeful" message around AI, Europe's narrative tends to be more "dramatic." He argued that the region needs to start thinking "beyond GDPR, beyond the EU AI Act" and produce technological success stories to get people "excited" about AI.

As Google and Meta challenge Europe's AI regulations, it remains to be seen how the political landscape surrounding AI regulation in Europe will evolve. The ultimate outcome will depend on the balance between the interests of tech companies, the public, and other stakeholders, as well as the ability of policymakers to craft regulations that promote innovation while ensuring responsible AI development.