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Meta has publicly announced their refusal to enter the European Union’s voluntary Code of Practice for General Purpose AI (GPAI) models due to concerns of legal ambiguity and overreach. According to the EU, the code is set to be enforced starting August 2, 2025. Other industry stalwarts such as Microsoft, Alphabet, and Mistral AI have also expressed their dissent, all the while the EU remains firm on their timeline.

Why Meta Refused to Sign the EU AI Code

Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, labelled the voluntary framework “problematic” on LinkedIn, saying:

“Europe is heading down the wrong path on AI.”

Kaplan elaborated by saying that the EU AI Code poses legal ambiguities for AI companies and has provisions that go beyond the scope of the AI Act which makes it overly burdensome for Meta to function optimally. He characterized the EU’s approach as an “over-reach” describing it as an attempt that would inhibit innovation and stall the progress of frontier AI model development in Europe.

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What Does the EU’s Voluntary AI Code Include?

The voluntary code of practice aims to assist companies in preparing for the impending EU AI legislation. Essential precepts include:  

 

  • Maintaining and regularly updating documentation on AI systems.
  • Ensuring AI models do not use pirated content for training datasets.
  • Honouring content owners’ requests to opt out of AI training data.

 

While the structure is flexible at the moment, the European Union anticipates companies generating GPAI models with 'systemic risk' will fully abide by its terms by August 2027.

Industry Pushback Against the AI Code

Kaplan emphasised that a total of 44 prominent industry leaders and policy makers from Europe, which include Bosch, Siemens, SAP, Airbus and BNP Paribas signed a letter to the European Commission requesting the postponement of the new AI regulations.

However, the EU has stood firm. Thomas Regnier, an EU spokesperson, stated:

“Businesses that fail to comply by 2027 will have to demonstrate other means of compliance or face more regulatory scrutiny.”

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What’s Next for AI Regulation in Europe?

The EU is trying to stay the world leader in AI regulation by balancing innovation with safety and ethics. Still, Meta’s refusal to sign the code shows there is a dividing line forming between regulators and big tech companies over AI policy governance which is deepening.

If Meta and others don’t comply with EU rules, they may face harsher regulations starting with the August 2027 deadline for systemic risk AI models.

Final Thoughts

This dispute underscores the persistent debate over the limits of AI innovation and implementation. While it’s likely that the EU’s heavy-handed approach will set a precedent for other countries to adopt, at the moment, big tech companies don’t want to be tangled in vague and overly rigid rules.