Meta Platforms has halted the launch of its latest AI technology in the UK and EU over concerns about fragmented AI rules.
While new AI products, including smart glasses and a digital assistant, will be launched in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Europe is facing delays.
Meta cited uncertainty over what data could be used to train AI models as the reason for the launch pause. An open letter from 59 tech companies, including Meta, warned that Europe risks falling behind in the AI race due to inconsistent regulation. The signatories, which also included Ericsson and Spotify, argued that Europe has become less competitive compared to other regions.
Meta AI is expected to launch in the UK before the EU as the company pushes ahead with plans to use public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram to train its AI models. However, the Information Commissioner’s Office has raised questions about the data’s use, prompting Meta to simplify the process for users to opt out of data processing. In the EU, regulators have said Meta’s plans fall short of privacy and transparency requirements.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed at the company’s Connect conference that Meta AI, a competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, already has 400 million monthly users, despite not being available in Europe. He also showed off a prototype of Meta’s augmented reality glasses, called Orion.