Capgemini CEO, Aiman Ezzat Criticizes EU’s Artificial Intelligence Rules
Capgemini CEO, Aiman Ezzat Criticizes EU’s Artificial Intelligence Rules
States it has become difficult for global companies to deploy the technology in the region
Ahead of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris (10-11 February) Aiman Ezzat, the CEO of French IT consulting group Capgemini, stated that the European Union (EU) had gone overboard with the artificial intelligence (AI) regulations.
Hoping for policy alignment at the Summit, he criticized the rules, which complicate deployment for global firms and highlighted the absence of global standards, terming them ‘nightmarish’.
With partnerships like Microsoft and AWS, Capgemini explores the potential of Chinese innovative firm DeepSeek's models, despite transparency concerns.
He added that it had become difficult for global companies to deploy the technology in the region.
There’s been a growing frustration with EU regulations from private players in AI. This happened after US President Donald Trump revoked a 2023 executive order signed by former President Joe Biden that sought to reduce the risks that AI poses to consumers, workers and national security.
Meanwhile, the EU has said that its Artificial Intelligence Act is the world's most comprehensive law.
However, some companies criticized it for stifling innovation.
Ezzat held, "It's complex for us because we have to look at regulation in every country where we operate, what we can do, what we cannot do, and what's our responsibility as a developer.”
One of Europe's biggest IT services companies, Capgemini has partnerships with companies including Microsoft, Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services. Its clients include Heathrow Airport and Deutsche Telekom.
At the Paris Action Summit, frameworks for Al policy are among the topics of discussion by heads of state and executives from the world's leading technology firms.
Ezzat hopes regulators and companies come to some alignment on policy. While the AI Act will take years to be implemented fully, the European Data Protection Authority is concerned that the privacy laws could be breached by AI experts.
Recently, the data protection bodies of some European countries requested information and began analyzing DeepSeek.
The Chinese startup had shocked industry and global markets by showing that it could compete with US heavyweights in the AI field for a fraction of the cost.
As Ezzat remarked, "It's a game changer, because it brings something new. It's more open so you can do more with it and fine-tune it.” However, he added that even though DeepSeek shared its models via open source, the transparency was limited.
