By doing so, the EU is giving companies more time to adapt to the new rules in the field of artificial intelligence, Euronews said. However, many experts and MEPs say they regret the European Commission’s departure from the rules adopted just a year ago.
Among the pieces of legislation covered by the Digital Omnibus is the Artificial Intelligence Act, which was passed last year. The legislation is being enacted gradually, but with the proposed plan, the European Commission is officially announcing that the enactment of some provisions will be delayed.
Specifically, the Omnibus provides more time for businesses and organizations deploying high-risk AI technologies that are used for purposes such as analyzing resumes, grading school exams or evaluating credit applications. The provisions of the law won’t begin to take effect until December 2027, more than a year after the originally scheduled date of August 2026.
That could have a major effect. If the Digital Omnibus is passed, AI models will be able to use previously limited data to make decisions about access to mainstream financial services, Euronews writes.
How this would happen was explained to the publication by Peter Norwood, senior research and advocacy officer at Finance Watch: “Under these proposals, a person could be denied a loan because of a biased AI model or charged higher insurance premiums based on predicted health status – all without their knowledge or consent,” he said.
The European Commission attributes the delay to a lack of implementation by the bloc’s states and the fact that companies need time to adapt to the complex new rules. Not coincidentally, Amazon, Apple, Google and Uber welcomed the proposed delay in the Omnibus, although they called for “bolder” and “clearer” action.
However, some critics of the European Commission’s plan see the postponement as excessive and not entirely justified.
“Consumers were promised simplification to support the European economy, but the European Commission’s proposal can only be seen as deregulation almost exclusively in favor of Big Tech,” says Agustin Reina, director general of the European consumer organization BEUC. – Instead of curtailing consumer rights, the European legislator should focus on simplifying compliance in the interests of both European companies and consumers.”
