Siemens and SAP CEOs have been strongly criticizing European AI law. They argue that current rules have hindered innovation, resulting in Europe losing its status. Revisions to the regulatory framework are required to support technological advancements.
The two executives made these comments in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The AI Act aims to ensure that AI systems are safe, transparent and ethical. At the same time, businesses fear that rules will undermine their innovative strength.
Recently, 46 European CEOs have sought a two-year delay in AI law. Several companies, including Google and Meta, have sent letters to Brussels, asking them to postpone the rules, but Siemens CEO Roland Busch refused to sign the letter from the time. He felt the proposal had not progressed well enough.
The AI Act timeline has not changed so far. The European Commission has made it clear that there will be no “stop the clock.” The first obligation for the general-purpose AI model will come into effect in August.
EU AI law is too limited
The EU AI Act divides AI applications into risk categories. Providers must adhere to security and transparency requirements. Siemens CEO Roland Busch considers the law a major reason Europe is lagging behind. “We’re sitting in a treasure trove of European data, but we can’t take advantage of it yet,” Bush told Allgemine Zeyton of Frankfurter. “It’s not accessing currently lacking computing capacity, it’s just a resource release.”
The problem goes beyond AI actions. Bush called data methods “toxic” for the development of digital business models. The law places a duty on how businesses process consumer and business data.
SAP CEO Christian Klein warned against simply copying the US approach. He emphasized that Europe should not invest solely in infrastructure and data centers. Infrastructure deficits are not the main barrier in Europe, Klein said.
According to both CEOs, the real opportunity lies in reforming data rules before investing in data centers. The coming months will be important about how Europe shapes its technical ambitions.
