Photo credit: Carl Gruner/Unsplash

Leading technology companies have made their final attempt to convince the European Union (EU) to play nice in a bid to avoid hefty fines regarding the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI).

Earlier this year, EU legislators voted to endorse the AI Act, the world's first comprehensive set of rules governing the technology, following months of negotiations between different political groups.

However, it remains unclear how “general purpose” AI (GPAI) systems, such as ChatGPT, will be regulated and what fines multinational companies may face.

The EU recently invited companies, schools and universities to assist in drafting the code of practice, with almost 1,000 requests to sign up.

According to Reuters, the AI code of practice will not be legally binding when it comes in next year, but seems to be the working template for compliant firms going forward. A company claiming to follow the law while ignoring the code could face a legal challenge.

"The code of practice is crucial. If we get it right, we will be able to continue innovating," said Boniface de Champris, a senior policy manager at trade organization CCIA Europe, whose members include Amazon, Google and Meta.

"If it's too narrow or too specific, that will become very difficult," he added.

Google has submitted an application, a spokesman told Reuters. Meanwhile, Amazon said it hopes to "contribute our expertise and ensure the code of practice succeeds."
Read more: US, EU, and UK set to sign Council of Europe’s AI Convention