Meta has confirmed that it will not sign the new European AI code of practice. The company said the rules would create too many legal problems and slow innovation across the continent. Joel Kaplan who now leads Meta’s global affairs said the EU is taking the wrong direction with AI regulation. He said the code introduces confusing rules and goes far beyond what the EU AI Act requires.

Kaplan made the comments in a LinkedIn post and warned that the new code could hurt small companies who want to build AI models in Europe. He also said the rules would make it harder for developers to use powerful AI systems. The EU released the final version of the code last week and made it optional for companies to sign.

Meta Warns EU’s New AI Framework Will Hurt Innovation

OpenAI agreed to sign the code and some firms like ASML and Airbus have asked the EU to delay it. Meta believes the timeline is too fast and the approach is too harsh. The AI code is part of Europe’s plan to bring transparency and safety to AI systems and starts next month. But Meta believes that more time and balance are needed.

“We share concerns raised by these businesses that this over-reach will throttle the development and deployment of frontier AI models in Europe, and stunt European companies looking to build businesses on top of them,” Kaplan wrote.

Kaplan replaced Nick Clegg as Meta’s top global policy officer earlier this year. He was once a political advisor in the Bush administration. In his post, Kaplan said the company supports responsible AI development but not through what he called damaging overreach.