Experts say it depends on European regulations, but it could also be a tactic to slow down the rules,
ADVERTISEMENTAs tech giants announce their latest artificial intelligence (AI) modelsEuropean consumers will have to wait before they can use them, let alone if they arrive.
The main reason for this is legal uncertainty, as Europe has stricter regulations, tech companies say. But experts say it could also be a way to put pressure on European Union policymakers.
ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode launched in the UK last week – but not in the EU. This could be due to concerns over the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires certain products to be reviewed by the European Data Commissioner before launch.
However, advanced voice mode is the only OpenAI The feature hasn’t reached Europe yet, so it may only be a matter of time before it does.
“Europe is a key region for us and we are committed to working with European institutions to bring our products here,” an OpenAI spokesperson told Euronews Next.
“Pressure on political decision-makers”
However, two tech titans have decided not to launch in Europe at all.
Apple announced its AI-enabled iPhone 16 at its developer conference last monthbut AI technology will not reach Europe. Apple specifically said this was due to complications the company would face under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Apple should have opened its iOS system and API products to third-party developers and given users the option to choose other AI products to potentially integrate into new iPhones, which Apple said would create security risks.
Several weeks later, Meta also held its developer conference and announced upgrades to its Llama AI product. But that won’t come to Europe either. The parent company of Instagram and Facebook said this was due to concerns over EU GDPR rules.
The two companies have also not signed a so-called agreement EU Pac AIt, a non-binding agreement that demonstrates their commitment to European AI law. But the French AI champion MistralAI and the American company Anthropic have also done the same.
Euronews Next contacted Apple, which did not respond at the time of publication, and Meta, which said it did not have a spokesperson.
“I think this is a larger issue with European regulations that are forcing U.S. companies to consider whether they will bring products to Europe,” said Bill Echikson, a senior fellow at the Digital Innovation Initiative and editor-in-chief of Bandwidth at the Center for European Policy Analysis.
“The main reason is legal uncertainty, fear of breaking regulations. And it could also be a way to put pressure on EU policymakers to slow down regulation,” he told Euronews Next.
Giorgos Verdi, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, agreed that not deploying AI technology could be a corporate strategy to pressure the EU “in order to create policy and regulatory changes.”
“These companies have long called for either removing some of these obligations completely or simplifying them. So it’s a great tactic,” he told Euronews Next.
ADVERTISEMENTWhat is the impact?
Verdi said that on the other hand, some companies are losing money by not launching in Europe and might therefore change tactics.
The latest example is Google’s AI chatbot, Bard, which was initially not deployed in Europe because it did not comply with GDPR, but did so later in 2023, after entering into a regulatory dialogue with the Irish Data Commission and European regulators.
“We need to see to what extent they choose to withdraw their products from Europe, and I would say it may not be long, because Europe and its single market remains a very lucrative market for these technology companies,” said Verdi.
As for European consumers, the impact of the absence of AI models is minimal, Verdi said, because most citizens do not want to see their data mismanaged or do not want innovation without any guarantees .
ADVERTISEMENTSome players in the European technology industry have also told Euronews Next that European AI law could create additional regulatory barriers that would benefit US and Chinese competition and reduce opportunities for European AI champions to emerge.
Competitiveness could be another obstacle for Europe that would hamper small European businesses.
“Ultimately, competitiveness is not only about innovating with new products, but also about being able to integrate these products so that they improve the competitiveness and productivity of European companies,” Verdi said.
The ultimate impact of not deploying AI models in Europe is that it could increase fragmentation between the US and European markets.
ADVERTISEMENT“So far the effect has been limited. But European regulators must also ensure that this does not continue, in the interests of European and American citizens,” Verdi said.
“These two markets should continue to cooperate to continue trade between them rather than pushing for greater technological fragmentation, as we have seen in recent times.”
