Google Joins EU Code for Advanced AI Models as Meta Declines
Google announced on Wednesday that it will sign the European Union’s voluntary code of practice for frontier AI models—joining other developers like OpenAI—while Meta continues to resist the initiative.
The EU recently unveiled long-awaited guidelines aimed at regulating the most powerful AI systems, such as Google’s Gemini, through a voluntary code. These recommendations come just ahead of the August 2 compliance deadline for developers of so-called “general-purpose AI”—models designed for a broad range of tasks.
The move signals Google’s intent to cooperate with EU regulators despite growing tensions between Brussels and the tech industry. Both U.S. officials and AI developers have cautioned that Europe’s emerging AI framework could stifle innovation across the continent.
“We will join several other companies, including U.S. model providers, in signing the code,” said Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs. However, he expressed concerns that the rules could slow AI progress in Europe. “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,” he added.
Other major AI firms, including OpenAI and French startup Mistral, have also agreed to sign the EU’s code. Meta, however, has opted out. The company has been a vocal critic of the EU’s broader digital regulations and is now distancing itself from the AI code as well.
“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,” said Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, in a recent LinkedIn post.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has clashed with the EU on multiple fronts, including recent disputes over political advertising regulations. In response to the bloc’s new rules, Meta said it would halt political ads in Europe instead of attempting to comply.
Adding to the criticism, some of Europe’s biggest corporations—including France’s Airbus and Germany’s Lufthansa—have urged Brussels to delay implementation of the AI code. They argue that the current approach risks placing Europe at a disadvantage in the global AI race.
