The European Commission's AI Office has released a second draft of the Code of Practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models, crucial for the implementation of the EU’s AI Act. However, this draft includes measures that were previously rejected during negotiations. Among these are mandatory third-party assessments and different treatments for smaller and larger developers.
According to the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA Europe), if not addressed, these issues could undermine the legislative process of the AI Act. The current draft also extends beyond the agreed scope with additional copyright measures.
Concerns have been raised regarding the drafting process due to limited review time given to stakeholders. Stakeholders had only ten days to review the first draft, raising questions about how their feedback was incorporated in such a short period.
CCIA Europe calls on the Commission to revise this process by allowing more time for comments and addressing concerns in future drafts. This approach is necessary to create a sustainable and effective Code.
Boniface de Champris, CCIA Europe's Senior Policy Manager, expressed concerns about fundamental safeguards missing from the current draft: “Right now, Europe’s draft GPAI Code still lacks fundamental safeguards. It would jeopardise the trade secrets and confidential information of companies, and introduce measures that directly threaten the safety and security of AI models.”
De Champris further noted: “It is perplexing to see that this second draft falls short in critical areas when compared to the initial version.”
He emphasized that a successful Code is essential not only for developers but also for Europe's broader industrial competitiveness: “The Code of Practice’s success will be vital for general-purpose AI model developers, but also the broader AI ecosystem as well as the competitiveness of Europe’s industrial base and economy at large. However, developer adherence to the Code is seriously at risk without major improvements in the next draft.”
