An Open Letter: Fragmented Regulation Could Make the EU Miss Out on the AI Era

At FULLY AI, we're deeply committed to Europe’s success in AI innovation. However, the fragmented and inconsistent AI regulations across the EU are pushing many startups, including us, to consider relocating to the U.S. While we want to remain and innovate in Europe, we need clear, unified regulations to thrive. That's why we've signed an open letter initiated by Meta, calling for urgent regulatory reform to ensure the EU doesn't fall behind in the AI race.

How Fragmented Regulation Is Holding Europe Back

Europe’s current regulatory framework is hindering AI development. The lack of consistency—especially in how GDPR and data protection laws are applied—creates confusion and slows innovation. This uncertainty discourages investment in AI, making Europe less competitive compared to global leaders like the U.S. and China.

Tech companies and researchers need clear rules that enable AI development while maintaining privacy and ethical standards. Without these, the next generation of AI products may not reflect Europe’s unique cultures, languages, and values, leaving Europe behind in a rapidly advancing field.

The Opportunity: Open and Multimodal AI Models

Two major areas of AI innovation are at risk:

• Open models, which allow companies to freely use and modify AI tools, promoting broad economic growth.
• Multimodal models, which handle text, images, and speech, offering the next big leap in AI capabilities.

Without harmonized regulations, Europe risks missing out on these advancements. Research shows Generative AI could increase global GDP by 10% over the next decade—Europe should be part of that growth.

The Need for Unified AI Regulations

Regulatory fragmentation, particularly around GDPR and European Data Protection Authorities, is slowing down AI innovation. Companies like FULLY AI need clear, consistent rules to confidently invest in new technologies. A harmonized approach would enable AI to flourish within the single market, drive economic growth, and position Europe as a global AI leader.

We are proud to be listed alongside the following innovators, bright minds & organizations.

Final list of Co-Signatories

Companies:
EssilorLuxottica, Spotify, SAP, Thyssenkrupp, Publicis, Engineering, Ericsson, Prada, Meta, Klarna, Pirelli, Mirakl, Criteo, Salestube, Nabla, Audeering, Exor Group, Federico Marchetti (YOOX), Patrick Collison (Stripe), Artefact, Campus AI, Photoroom, Taxfix, Fully Ventures, Unbabel, 8vance, Adaptive ML, GGML, Kornia.AI, Quansight, Flower Labs, Bineric.AI, EsTech, METLEN

Researchers:
Marco Baroni (ICREA), Hosuk Lee Makiyama (Director of ECIPE), Nicolò Cesa-Bianchi (Università degli Studi di Milano), Stefano Iacus (Senior Research Scientist, Harvard University), Joseph Sivic (Czech Institute Of Technology), Patrick Perez (Kyutai), Eugenio Valdano, PhD (Sorbonne/Inserm)

Civil Society and Trades organizations:
Institute for Competitiveness, Consumer Choice Centre, La Villa Numeris, Digital Poland Association, InfoBalt, Czech Institute of Technology, Benedict Macon-Cooney, Chief Policy Strategist, Tony Blair Institute

A Call for Action

FULLY AI joins others in calling for modernized, consistent regulations across the EU. We believe that with the right framework, Europe can lead in AI innovation. But time is running out. The EU must act now to prevent falling further behind in the AI era.

We urge policymakers to ensure that Europe remains a competitive hub for AI innovation, unlocking the potential for scientific research, economic growth, and technological advancement while preserving European values.

More information on the official website: www.EUneedsAI.com