Meta and Apple Pause AI Releases in EU Over Regulatory Concerns

Meta, following Apple's lead, has decided to halt the release of new artificial intelligence (AI) features in the European Union (EU) due to regulatory uncertainty.

Both companies, Meta and Apple, have cited concerns over EU laws such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

In a statement to Axios on July 17, Meta mentioned plans to introduce a new multimodal Llama model in the coming months, but not in the EU, attributing this decision to the unpredictable regulatory environment.

The EU’s DMA requires tech “gatekeepers” like Meta and Apple to ensure their products support interoperability with rival platforms, aiming to promote fair competition.

Meanwhile, Meta’s concerns with GDPR limitations on user data usage have also influenced its decision to pause AI developments in the EU.

Despite these challenges, Meta remains optimistic about launching future AI products, including advanced versions of its Llama AI model, in the United Kingdom where regulatory processes are perceived to be more favorable compared to the EU.