AMSTERDAM, May 5 - A group of seven chief executives from major European technology companies have urged regulators to reduce and simplify the European Union's AI rules, arguing that the current approach risks leaving the bloc behind as others move to scale artificial intelligence into physical systems and robotics.
The appeal appeared in an opinion piece published on Tuesday in several European newspapers, including Germany's Handelsblatt and Italy's Corriere della Sera. The writers said regulatory simplification should be paired with a stronger industrial policy and changes to merger and acquisition rules so that European companies can expand.
The timing of the call aligns with renewed EU deliberations this month about streamlining the bloc's 2024 AI Act. The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, is also due to present a "Tech Sovereignty Package" on May 27, which the companies noted includes plans still under negotiation to support the computer chip industry and AI infrastructure.
"More than three years after the 'ChatGPT moment', Europe is still debating regulation, while others have long shifted focus to scaling AI in physical systems and robotics," the executives wrote in the op-ed.
They added a warning about competitive dynamics: "We face fragmented markets and subsidized rivals with very strong market penetration in the EU." The statement was signed by the chief executives of ASML, Airbus, Ericsson, Mistral AI, Nokia, SAP AG and Siemens, and it followed a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Market indicators referenced alongside the commentary showed positive moves for several of the companies named: SIEGn+4.39% AIR+0.95% ERICb+1.19% NOKIA+0.31% SAPG+1.18% ASML+3.5% Siemens AG
The piece links three policy threads that the signatories said should be addressed together: regulatory simplification for AI tools and systems, targeted industrial support for chips and AI infrastructure, and more flexible M&A rules to allow European firms to scale through consolidation.
The executives' appeal arrives as the EU balances regulatory safeguarding with measures intended to shore up domestic capabilities in strategic technology sectors. The public op-ed emphasizes the need for a regulatory environment that does not slow the deployment of AI in hardware systems and robotics while governments negotiate industrial support mechanisms.
Context and next steps
The EU's resumed talks on the 2024 AI Act and the forthcoming Tech Sovereignty Package on May 27 will be the immediate forums in which some of the signatories' requests could be debated. The op-ed, and the meeting with the European Commission President, signal coordinated industry pressure for policy adjustments in the weeks ahead.