The European Union has confirmed it will proceed with its planned timeline for implementing the AI Act, despite mounting pressure from over a hundred tech companies calling for a delay, according to Reuters.

Global tech giants—including Alphabet, Meta, Mistral AI, and ASML—have urged the European Commission to postpone the rollout of the landmark legislation, arguing that the rules could hinder Europe’s competitiveness in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.

But EU officials remain firm. “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,” said European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier.

The AI Act is a risk-based regulatory framework designed to govern the use of artificial intelligence within the EU. It categorizes AI systems based on their potential to cause harm:

Unacceptable risk applications—such as social scoring or manipulative behavior targeting individuals—are banned outright.
High-risk uses, including biometric surveillance, facial recognition, or AI in education and employment, are subject to strict compliance, registration, and quality assurance requirements.
Limited-risk systems, such as chatbots, must meet basic transparency standards.

The EU began phasing in the AI Act last year, with full enforcement expected by mid-2026. Despite industry concerns, the bloc remains committed to its original rollout schedule.