the extension was granted after the experts working on the code requested additional time to incorporate industry feedback.
the new rules for developers and users of general purpose artificial intelligence (gpai)—models capable of performing various tasks, such as chatgpt, google gemini, and midjourney—will now be released according to a revised european commission timeline, pushing the deadline back by at least a month.
the code of practice on general purpose artificial intelligence (cop), designed to help companies comply with the eu’s ai act, includes transparency and copyright rules, as well as guidelines for risk assessments and mitigation measures. the code is now expected to be released no earlier than may.
the delay is due to the chairs of the working groups drafting the code requesting extra time to integrate stakeholder feedback and ensure the document is legally robust, euronews understands from sources involved.
in september, the commission tasked a group of independent experts from the eu, us, and canada to lead the drafting of the code. the first session that month saw participation from around 1,000 attendees contributing to the code’s development.
a third draft, initially scheduled for release by february 17, could now be published in march.
this will be followed by more working group meetings, workshops, and a plenary session, before the final text is presented, with may being the earliest possible release date.
the eu’s ai act, which came into effect in august last year, sets strict regulations for providers of gpai models. most provisions will take effect in august 2025, with the act fully applicable by 2027.
the commission may choose to formalize the cop under the ai act via an implementing act.
some in the tech industry have welcomed the delay, including the lobbying group dot europe, which represents companies such as amazon, apple, google, and tiktok.
“given the importance of the code, we appreciate that more time is being taken to ensure its high quality. we hope this does not result in a lack of time for stakeholders to comment on the next draft,” said elias papadopoulos, director of policy at dot europe.
hadrien valembois, director of policy, emea at business software alliance, also expressed support for the delay, although he remains concerned about the overall tight timeline.
meanwhile, last month, a group of 15 european rightsholder organizations—including news media europe, the federation of european publishers, and the european publishers council—warned the commission that the current draft of the cop contradicts copyright law.
news media europe (nme) stated that the text should be urgently reviewed. nme’s senior policy manager, iacob gammeltoft, told euronews today that the delay to incorporate feedback “does not come as a surprise.”
“for press publishers, it’s better to have a delayed code that gets it right than a code that weakens intellectual property rules established under copyright law and the ai act itself,” he added.