What made Google says YES to Europe on an AI law that Facebook, Instagram have outrightly rejected; and Europe's biggest companies want EU to ‘Stop the Clock’

Google has said yes to European Union's (EU) AI law that Facebook and Instagram parent Meta has almost gone to war over. Google has reportedly said that it will sign the EU’s code of practice for artificial intelligence (AI). Google agreeing to EU AI law is a boost to the bloc as it tries to hold firm on its digital rules in the face of heavy pressure from the Donald Trump government and other Big Tech groups.Kent Walker, president of global affairs and chief legal officer at Google’s parent company Alphabet, said that the company would sign “with the hope that this Code, as applied, will promote European citizens’ and businesses’ access to secure, first-rate AI tools as they become available”.Though Google seems set to sign the Europe's AI Act, it also warned the regional bloc on the same. Kent Walker said that Google would also submit feedback, as the AI Act and the code “risk slowing Europe’s development and deployment of AI”. He added, “Departures from EU copyright law, steps that slow approvals, or requirements that expose trade secrets could chill European model development and deployment, harming Europe’s competitiveness.” With this, Google joins OpenAI and the French artificial intelligence company Mistral in signing the code. Microsoft president Brad Smith recently told Reuters that it was “likely” that Microsoft would sign the code. The AI Act is set to come into force early next month.EU’s AI code requires regular documentation updates for AI tools and it also bans training of AI with paired content. It also needs compliance with content owners’ opt-out requests and systemic risk assessments and post-marketing monitoring. EC president calls AI Act Red line that can't be crossedA statement on the EU-US trade deal signed by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump last week said that the two economies “intend to address unjustified digital trade barriers”. However, the EU has said its online rules are a red line and will not be changed. “We are not moving on our right to regulate autonomously in the digital space,” a commission spokesperson said.Facebook owner Meta has vehemently refused to sign the AI code. Meta’s vice president of Global Public Policy, Joel Kaplan said in a LinkedIn post that Europe might be ‘heading down the wrong path’. He said that the code introduces ‘“legal uncertainties for model developers” and also impose requirements that go “far beyond the scope of the AI Act”.“Europe is heading down the wrong path on AI. We have carefully reviewed the European Commission’s Code of Practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models and Meta won’t be signing it. This Code introduces a number of legal uncertainties for model developers, as well as measures which go far beyond the scope of the AI Act,” wrote Kaplan in a LinkedIn post.Last month, 44 of Europe’s largest businesses – including Bosch, Siemens, SAP, Airbus and BNP – signed a letter calling for the Commission to ‘Stop the Clock’ in its implementation.