The chief executives of two of Europe’s largest industrial and software giants, Siemens and SAP, are publicly calling on the European Union to urgently revise its groundbreaking AI Act. They warn that certain provisions within the regulation, particularly those concerning “general-purpose AI” (GPAI), could stifle innovation and competitiveness within the bloc, especially for European companies.
In a joint letter addressed to EU policymakers, Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens, and Christian Klein, CEO of SAP, expressed their concerns that the current framework of the AI Act, which is set to come into full effect in mid-2026, could inadvertently hinder the development and deployment of crucial AI technologies. They specifically targeted the broad classification and stringent requirements placed on GPAI systems, arguing that these could disproportionately impact developers and users of foundational AI models.
The executives emphasized that while they fully support the AI Act’s goals of fostering trust and safety in AI, the present rules risk making Europe a less attractive place for AI research and investment. They argued that the compliance burden could be particularly onerous for smaller and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and even large corporations developing complex AI solutions.
The European Commission has consistently defended the AI Act as a landmark legislation designed to set a global standard for ethical and trustworthy AI. However, industry leaders are now pressing for adjustments that they believe are necessary to ensure that the Act achieves its aims without inadvertently hindering Europe’s ability to compete in the global AI race.
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