Meta has stated that it will not launch its upcoming multimodal AI model in the EU due to regulatory concerns, which will prevent European companies from using the model, despite it being released under an open license.
Meta spokesperson Kate McLaughlin told The Verge, "In the coming months, we will release the multimodal Camel model, but we will not launch it in the EU due to the unpredictability of the European regulatory environment."
The EU has recently set a compliance deadline for the new Artificial Intelligence Act, requiring tech companies to comply with the regulations by August 2026. Meta's decision mirrors Apple's, which recently indicated that it may exclude the EU from its Apple Intelligence rollout due to concerns about the Digital Markets Act.
Meta has also suspended plans to release AI assistants in the EU and halted generative AI tools in Brazil, all due to concerns about data protection compliance.
Meta has indicated that its multimodal AI model will be used in products such as Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses. According to Axios, Meta's disregard for the EU will also extend to future multimodal AI model releases, but not the larger purely text-based version of the Llama3 model, which will be available to EU customers.
This creates difficulties for companies hoping to offer products and services using these models outside the EU, as they will not be able to offer these models in one of the world's largest economic markets.
Key Points:
🔍 Meta is not launching multimodal AI models in the EU, preventing European companies from using the model
🔍 The EU has set a compliance deadline for AI companies, sparking concerns among tech companies
🔍 Meta's decision to exclude the EU mirrors Apple's move, involving concerns about the Digital Markets Act