The European Commission is inviting all stakeholders to offer their input ahead of the drafting of upcoming guidelines on general-purpose AI in the AI Act
The European Commission today announced that the consultation process was open on guidelines that will clarify key concepts underlying the provisions in the AI Act on general-purpose AI (GPAI) models. It is inviting stakeholders to “bring their practical experience to shape clear, accessible EU rules on general-purpose AI (GPAI) models in a targeted consultation that will contribute to the upcoming Commission guidelines”.
“Upcoming guidelines will give detailed explanations on questions such as ‘what is a general-purpose AI model’, ‘which entities are providers in various constellations’, and ‘which actions constitute a placing on the market’,” the Commission said in a statement today.
“The guidelines will also lay out how the AI Office will provide support to facilitate compliance,” it continued. “Finally, they will explain how signing the Code of Practice – if approved by the AI Office and the AI Board – may reduce administrative burden for providers and serve as a benchmark for regulatory compliance.”
With a deadline of May 22, feedback is invited from “all interested stakeholders” – providers of GPAI models, downstream providers of AI systems, civil society, academia, other experts, and public authorities. The new guidelines, which should be published before August 2025, will not be binding but they will guide the Commission on how to interpret and apply enforcement of the GPAI rules under the AI Act. They will complement the Code of Practice on General-Purpose AI, which is currently being finalised, and should also be published this summer, before The AI Act rules on general-purpose AI will become effective. The Commission will also soon launch a targeted consultation on the classification of AI systems as high-risk.
The EU Act, which entered into force last August, is a landmark regulation meant to bring the growing power of AI under legal control. However, speaking at the launch in April of the AI Continent Action Plan, Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, emphasised that, under the AI Act around 85pc of all AI systems remain unregulated.
“We want these companies to know that they are not subject to any rules under the AI Act, and for the remaining 15pc we want to achieve a maximum of simplicity,” she said.
To that end she announced that the Commission will launch the AI Act Service Desk to help businesses comply with the AI Act, serving as the central point of contact and hub for information and guidance on the Act.
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