EU officials to meet OpenAI CEO again in June over AI laws

Just days after trading remarks over the implementation of AI laws in Europe, European Union’s industry chief Thierry Breton is set to meet OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in June to discuss AI regulations further, according to a Reuters report.

The meeting, which is most likely to take place in San Francisco, will see Breton seek a roadmap for implementation of EU’s AI regulations that are expected to come into effect in 2026, the news report cited unnamed EU officials as saying.  

The discussion, according to officials, will focus on datasets and their use in building or managing AI and large language models.

The meeting is also likely to see Breton ask Altman to join a group of companies that have already signed a pact to adhere to the European Union’s AI regulations, the officials told Reuters.

The news about Breton and Altman’s meeting comes just days after both executives were embroiled in a public debate over the EU’s existing AI regulations.

Last week, Altman said OpenAI had no plans to leave the EU after threatening to stop his company’s operations in the European Union if the commission passed its AI regulations in their existing form.

Altman’s threat was followed by Breton saying that the EU’s AI regulations cannot be negotiated.

OpenAI and Microsoft have both been vocal about seeking governmental policies around the regulation of AI.

Earlier this month, Altman, while speaking in front of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on privacy, and technology, sought regulations over AI that included letting consumers know about content generated by AI and looking at ways to stop bad actors from gaming large language models.

Microsoft president Brad Smith, too, has voiced similar concerns about AI regulations. Last week, Smith not only sought a separate US agency for AI governance but also laid out a five-step blueprint for public governance of AI.