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Meta and Spotify CEOs question EU’s approach to AI regulation

By Tsveta Ermenkova

Published: Aug 26, 2024, 6:54 AM

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Meta and Spotify CEOs question EU’s approach to AI regulation

Artificial intelligence is almost everywhere in the tech world these days. Google has its Gemini models in Pixel phones, Samsung rolled out its suite of AI-powered features, Galaxy AI, to the Galaxy phones, Apple introduced its Apple Intelligence, and Meta has its own Meta AI, a free AI assistant across its family of apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp.

However, not everyone gets to enjoy the new AI features. The European Union has regulations that are holding some companies back from launching their AI models in the 27 countries within the bloc. Naturally, this has sparked some frustration among the tech giants.

Mark Zuckerberg and Daniel Ek share why Europe should embrace open-source AI

Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Spotify's CEO Daniel Ek have voiced concerns about Europe's open-source AI rules, warning that the continent could fall behind due to its tangled regulations.

Though Spotify and Meta use AI in different ways, we agree that thoughtful, clear and consistent regulation can foster competition and innovation while also protecting people and giving them access to new technologies that empower them.

– Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, and Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify, August 2024

In their joint statement, they pointed out that a divide is starting to form between those who can harness AI technology and those who can't. They suggest that Europe's best bet is open-source AI – where the tech is freely available to everyone. This approach helps prevent a few big players from dominating the market (which is the EU’s regulators' main concern), and it levels the playing field for everyone.

Europe, with its strong base of open-source developers, is in a great position to ride the wave of open-source AI, according to Zuckerberg and Ek. However, the continent’s patchwork of regulations, which are often inconsistently applied, is slowing down innovation and putting developers at a disadvantage.

Mark Zuckerberg (on the left) and Daniel Ek (on the right). | Image credit – Meta

For instance, Ireland’s privacy regulator recently told Meta to hold off on launching its AI models in Europe, delaying plans to use data from Facebook and Instagram. Because of these current rules, Meta won’t be able to roll out its new AI models, like Llama multimodal, which can understand images. This means Europeans could end up with AI built for other regions, the CEOs warned.

Apple Intelligence won’t be launching in Europe either, thanks to concerns over the Digital Markets Act (DMA). While the act is designed to boost competition and interoperability in the digital market, Apple is worried it could compromise user privacy and data security.

While I agree that regulations are crucial for managing AI and protecting our data, I also think EU regulators need to create clearer laws. This would help tech companies bring new innovations to all users, no matter where they are. Whether EU lawmakers will listen to feedback from big tech is still up in the air.

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Tsveta, a passionate technology enthusiast and accomplished playwright, combines her love for mobile technologies and writing to explore and reveal the transformative power of tech. From being an early follower of PhoneArena to relying exclusively on her smartphone for photography, she embraces the immense capabilities of compact devices in our daily lives. With a Journalism degree and an explorative spirit, Tsveta not only provides expert insights into the world of gadgets and smartphones but also shares a unique perspective shaped by her diverse interests in travel, culture, and visual storytelling.