Meta will not release its advanced AI model in EU over regulatory concerns
Meta has announced it will withhold its most advanced AI model, "Llama," from the European Union market, a decision that highlights growing tensions between tech giants and EU regulators over data privacy and AI development.
Llama, a multimodal AI system capable of processing text, images, audio, and video, is slated for release in the coming months. Unfortunately, European users and companies will be left out due to what Meta calls an "unpredictable regulatory environment" in the EU.
"We're concerned about the constantly evolving nature of data privacy laws in Europe," a Meta spokesperson explained to Axios. "This makes it difficult to ensure compliance when developing and deploying AI models that rely on large datasets."
The move echoes Apple's recent decision to withhold its "Apple Intelligence" features from Europe due to similar concerns. Both companies grapple with the EU's stringent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), considered the world's strongest data privacy law. The GDPR restricts how companies collect, store, and utilize user data, posing challenges for training complex AI models.
Innovation vs user privacy
The EU maintains that it has the user’s best interest at heart and strong data privacy protections are essential to prevent the tech companies from violating user privacy. However, tech companies argue that these regulations stifle innovation and hinder the development of cutting-edge AI technologies.
Still, it’s not all bad news as Meta has offered a small concession. A text-only version of Llama, dubbed "Llama 3," will be available for European users. This version caters to tasks not requiring audio, video, or image processing. However, the exclusion of the multimodal model limits the potential applications of AI in the European market.
The Future of AI in Europe
Meta’s decision on the multimodal AI model relates to whether it complies with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations). There’s also the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to worry about and the EU AI Act that comes into force next month.
These new legislations lay out stricter regulations for high-risk AI systems pushing for responsible AI development. Whether Meta and other tech giants can find ways to comply with EU regulations while still pushing the boundaries of AI development remains to be seen.
