The European Union is moving to force AI companies to be more transparent than ever, publishing a code of practice Thursday that will help tech giants prepare to comply with the EU's landmark AI Act.
These rules—which have not yet been finalized and focus on copyright protections, transparency, and public safety—will initially be voluntary when they take effect for the biggest makers of "general purpose AI" on August 2.
But the EU will begin enforcing the AI Act in August 2026, and the Commission has noted that any companies agreeing to the rules could benefit from a "reduced administrative burden and increased legal certainty," The New York Times reported. Rejecting the voluntary rules could force companies to prove their compliance in ways that could be more costly or time-consuming, the Commission suggested.
