The European Commission has announced that more than 100 companies have signed up to the EU AI Pact and its voluntary pledges.

The signatories include multinational corporations and SMEs from diverse sectors, including IT, telecoms, healthcare, banking, automotive, and aeronautics. 

The pact supports industry's voluntary commitments to start applying the principles of the AI Act ahead of its entry into application and enhances engagement between the EU AI Office and all relevant stakeholders, including industry, civil society and academia.

The EU AI Pact voluntary pledges call on participating companies to commit to at least three core actions: AI governance strategy to foster the uptake of AI in the organisation and work towards future compliance with the AI Act; high-risk AI systems mapping: Identifying AI systems likely to be categorised as high-risk under the AI Act; and promoting AI literacy and awareness among staff, ensuring ethical and responsible AI development.  

In addition to these core commitments, more than half of the signatories committed to additional pledges, including ensuring human oversight, mitigating risks, and transparently labelling certain types of AI-generated content, such as deep fakes. Companies are welcome to join the AI Pact and commit to the core and the additional pledges at any moment until the AI Act fully applies.

Boosting EU leadership in AI innovation

Alongside the efforts to help companies implement the AI Act in anticipation of the legal deadline, the commission is taking action to boost EU innovation in AI.

The AI Factories initiative of September 10, 2024, will provide startups and industry with a one-stop-shop to innovate and develop AI, including data, talent and computing power.

The AI Factories will also propel the development and validation of AI industrial and scientific applications in key European sectors such as healthcare, energy, automotive and transport, defence and aerospace, robotics and manufacturing, clean and agritech.

AI Factories are a highlight of the commission's AI innovation package presented in January 2024, together with venture capital and equity support measures, the  deployment of Common European Data Spaces, the ‘GenAI4EU' initiative, and the Large AI Grand Challenge giving startups financial support and access to EU's supercomputers, among other measures.

The commission will also set up a European AI Research Council to exploit the potential of data, and the Apply AI Strategy to boost new industrial uses of AI.