The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act has begun to be implemented following its entry into force on August 1. Although its full implementation will extend until August 2026, a first step has already been taken with the signing of the 'AI Pact', a voluntary agreement in which more than 100 technology companies have committed to comply with the requirements of this regulation. However, two big names, Apple and Meta, are not yet part of this initiative.
Signatory companies and initial commitments
Among the companies that have decided to join the pact are giants such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft and OpenAI. Other important companies such as Adobe, Lenovo, Telefónica, Samsung and Qualcomm have also joined. All of them have agreed to implement a series of measures to ensure compliance with the AI Act. The pact includes three key commitments:
- Adoption of an AI governance strategy: Companies are committed to establishing internally a structure that will enable them to comply with the regulatory requirements imposed by the law.
- Identification of high-risk systems: This is one of the most sensitive points of the regulation. Companies must identify which AI applications within their scope can be classified as high-risk, although no additional measures are yet imposed at this stage.
- Promoting AI awareness among their employees: Companies must promote training and awareness on the responsible and ethical use of AI among their employees.
Notable absences: Apple and Meta
Despite strong adherence to the pact, the absence of Aple and Meta is striking. Apple has not issued any public statement regarding the AI Act nor has it shown any signs of integrating its artificial intelligence platform in Europe. For its part, Meta has taken a cautious stance. The company has acknowledged the importance of regulatory harmonization in the EU and claims eto be working on compliance with the law, although it does not rule out joining the pact in the future. However, both Meta and Spotify have expressed reservations about the legislation, arguing that preemptive regulation on emerging technologies such as open source AI could limit development and innovation. Other notable absentees also include Anthropic and French startup Mistral, which has been an active critic of the regulation.
