Meta, the parent company of Facebook, alongside other major technology companies such as Spotify and Ericsson, have issued a warning to the European Union, stating that the region’s current technology regulations may prevent Europe from fully benefiting from artificial intelligence advancements.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, more than two dozen company executives, including representatives from Ericsson, Meta, Spotify, and Prada, signed an open letter cautioning that while AI has the potential to enhance productivity and drive economic growth, Europe may miss out on these opportunities compared to other regions.

The letter expressed concerns about Europe’s global standing in the AI race, stating that “Europe has become less competitive and less innovative compared to other regions, and it now risks falling further behind in the AI era due to inconsistent regulatory decision-making.” The signatories included both business and technology leaders as well as researchers and civil-society and trade groups.

In response, the European Commission has reiterated its efforts to support AI innovation. It also noted that the new EU Justice Commissioner will ensure the bloc’s data protection laws address both law enforcement and commercial needs.

This letter follows announcements from Meta and Apple that their AI-driven features will not be available in Europe due to the region’s regulations. Recently, Apple revealed that its new AI system, Apple Intelligence, will not be accessible to European iPhone users this year, citing uncertainties related to the EU’s new digital competition laws. Similarly, Meta announced in July that it would delay the release of its upcoming multimodal AI model in Europe, blaming the “unpredictable nature of the European regulatory environment.”