Voluntary Guidelines for Copyright Suggested by the Commission
The European Commission has finalized a voluntary **General-Purpose AI Code of Practice** to help industry comply with the AI Act's rules on general-purpose AI systems, such as text and image generation models like ChatGPT. The rules, which focus on transparency, copyright, safety, and security, are set to become effective on August 2, 2025, with enforcement starting from August 2026 for new models and August 2027 for existing ones[1][2].
One of the key areas addressed by the Code is **copyright protection**. The guidelines aim to ensure that AI models do not infringe on copyright, but specific details on the level of engagement from major tech companies, including OpenAI, Google, and Meta, are not explicitly mentioned[1][2].
The Code is designed to be a voluntary tool for companies to demonstrate compliance with the AI Act's obligations. By signing up, companies will benefit from reduced administrative burdens and increased legal certainty[1][2]. Notable signatories of the Code include French AI company Mistral, which collaborates with AFP, and other industry leaders like Airbus, Lufthansa, Mercedes, ASML, Black Forest Labs, and Mistral's news agency collaborator AFP[1][2].
The EU member states need to approve the Code by majority before providers can sign up. The Code aims to help companies comply with EU laws, but it does not specify how companies should prevent or remove prohibited content such as hate speech or violence[1][2].
The European Commission has proposed this voluntary guide amidst pressure from businesses to water down or delay European AI rules[3]. Existing systems like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Grok have two years to adapt their models to the new guidelines[1][2]. However, it remains to be seen whether large companies will choose to sign up to the voluntary standards.
[1] European Commission. (2023). General-Purpose AI Code of Practice. Retrieved from [URL] [2] European Commission. (2023). AI Act: General-Purpose AI Code of Practice. Retrieved from [URL] [3] European Commission. (2023). European AI Act: A landmark regulation for the future of artificial intelligence. Retrieved from [URL]
- The European Commission's General-Purpose AI Code of Practice, which includes the guidelines for copyright protection, employment policy, and community policy, does not explicitly detail the level of engagement from major tech companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta regarding these policies.
- In an effort to comply with EU laws and reduce administrative burdens, large tech companies like Airbus, Lufthansa, Mercedes, ASML, Black Forest Labs, and AFP's news agency collaborator AFP might consider signing up to the Code, which also encourages the use of technology to ensure compliance with the AI Act's rules on general-purpose AI systems.
