The European Union pushed back hard against tech giants trying to delay its AI rules. Over 100 companies, including Alphabet, Meta, Mistral AI, and ASML, called on the EU to hold off on the AI Act rollout. They warn it could cripple Europe’s AI competitiveness.
No dice.
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier made it crystal clear: 
“I’ve seen, indeed, a lot of reporting, a lot of letters and a lot of things being said on the AI Act. Let me be as clear as possible, there is no stop the clock. There is no grace period. There is no pause.”
The EU’s AI Act targets “unacceptable risk” uses like cognitive behavioral manipulation and social scoring—those are banned outright. It also flags “high-risk” applications such as biometrics, facial recognition, education, and employment-related AI. Developers will have to register their systems and follow strict risk and quality rules to enter the European market.
“Limited risk” tools, including chatbots, face lighter transparency rules.
The EU began rolling out the AI Act last year. The full package hits mid-2026. No delays incoming.
