US pushes looser approach to AI regulation, while EU pushes new law

What the report says

At a G20 innovation ministerial meeting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the United States urged other governments to take a lighter-touch approach to artificial intelligence rules, arguing that governments should avoid technology-specific restrictions. The meeting came as Washington and Brussels continued to diverge over how to govern AI, with US officials and major tech executives promoting growth, infrastructure build-out and fewer regulatory hurdles.

Michael Kratsios, a tech adviser to US President Donald Trump, promoted the so-called Carolina Principles, which favour broad rules rather than laws aimed at individual technologies. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk also argued for fewer constraints on AI expansion, while warning that the sector will require major investments in data centres, skilled labor and electricity supply.

On the same day, the European Commission said it had sent information requests to more than 30 AI companies worldwide as an early enforcement step under the EU’s AI Act. The bloc’s law, described as the first comprehensive AI framework, already has transparency rules in force and bars some high-risk uses. EU officials said the checks will focus mainly on safety and copyright compliance, and that Brussels is prepared to enforce the rules.

The contrasting positions highlight a broader transatlantic divide: the US is prioritizing innovation and market expansion, while the EU is building a more formal regulatory system. The issue matters because AI policy is now shaping global standards for safety, competition and the pace of deployment.