Google to sign EU’s AI Code of Practice despite concerns over innovation risks
Google has agreed to endorse the EU’s voluntary AI Code of Practice aimed at guiding compliance with the AI Act, while warning that some provisions may hinder Europe’s AI competitiveness.
Google will sign the European Union’s voluntary AI Code of Practice, a framework designed to help companies align with the bloc’s upcoming Artificial Intelligence Act. The announcement was made in a blog post by Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer, who described the move as a step toward ensuring secure and high-quality AI access for European users and businesses.
The Code, developed by a panel of 13 independent experts, offers guidance on key obligations under the AI Act, such as disclosing training data summaries and adhering to EU copyright law. While expressing support, Walker also voiced concerns that certain elements of the AI Act, particularly those deviating from established copyright norms, slowing approvals, or exposing trade secrets, could stifle innovation and put Europe at a competitive disadvantage in AI development.
Microsoft is also expected to sign the Code, according to a statement earlier this month from its President Brad Smith. Meta, however, has declined to sign, citing unresolved legal ambiguities for AI model developers. The Code of Practice forms part of the EU’s broader strategy to establish global norms for responsible AI, counterbalancing regulatory gaps in other jurisdictions like the US and China.
