EU Tech Chief Discusses AI Regulation Differences with U.S.

<p><strong>CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — </strong>The Trump administration used this week's G20 innovation summit to highlight differences between U.S. and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/28/eu-ai-act-gets-real" target="_blank">European</a> approaches to <a href="https://www.axios.com/technology/automation-and-ai" target="_blank">AI</a> regulation. European Commission tech chief Henna Virkkunen stated that the U.S. is likely to adopt many of the same guardrails as Europe.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The U.S. is advocating for countries to avoid Europe's comprehensive AI regulation, but the discussion is shifting towards the necessary guardrails for advanced AI and the methods governments will use to implement them.</p><hr /><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> Virkkunen told Axios that both sides often address similar safety concerns, even if U.S. regulations are emerging through state laws and court cases rather than a comprehensive framework like the EU AI Act.</p><ul><li>"We see when it comes to technologies that in the USA the culture is different. So often it's coming via court cases, but often very similar things anyway, very similar concerns," she said.</li><li>"I don't see that this is so like black and white," Virkkunen added.</li><li>ChatGPT is currently <a href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-designates-chatgpt-reddit-roblox-under-digital-services-act" target="_blank">subject to</a> strict rules under the Digital Services Act, and Virkkunen emphasized the importance of simplifying the EU's regulations to make the region more conducive for businesses.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> The U.S. has not implemented broad federal AI regulations, but Washington is influencing how companies develop and deploy advanced models through executive actions, voluntary frameworks, national security restrictions, and other policies.</p><ul><li>Meanwhile, individual states are advancing their own AI regulations, and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/meta-reaches-18-billion-settlements-over-childrens-social-media-addiction-2026-08-26/" target="_blank">lawsuits</a> are prompting companies to make product changes.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> The EU is developing a framework for pre-deployment testing and trusted partner access, which Virkkunen noted is an area where similar policy questions are being addressed in the U.S.</p><ul><li>"So in [the] European Union, we are also working for that blueprint, and we are continuing to discuss also under G7, especially with our partners, how we should work on this topic," she stated.</li><li>The Trump administration has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/04/trump-ai-framework-open-models" target="_self">created</a> a voluntary framework for reviewing some advanced AI models before their release, potentially allowing government officials access for up to 30 days. The White House does not plan to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/04/white-house-ai-framework-under-wraps" target="_self">publicly disclose</a> this framework.</li><li>OpenAI's Sam Altman <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/03/altman-government-scrutiny-ai-g20" target="_blank">confirmed</a> this week that the administration reviewed its Astra model and noted that the process is voluntary: "But we of course did it."</li></ul><p><strong>Industry leaders at the G20 innovation summit</strong> criticized the EU's regulatory approach in discussions with Virkkunen and representatives from Germany, France, and Italy.</p><ul><li>In response to a question from White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios about what foreign governments should and should not do, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk advocated for a relatively unregulated approach.</li><li>"It's pretty straightforward," Musk said. "You have to have an environment that's relatively free of regulation, meaning that new things must be default legal as opposed to default illegal."</li><li>"In the EU, for example, we find that the regulation level is extraordinarily high, and things are generally default illegal, and this inhibits progress with new technologies. It slows it down," he added.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> As AI technology has advanced, Washington has become more involved in the release of AI models.</p>