The EU is weighing changes to the AI Act’s enforcement timeline via the Digital Omnibus (due 19 Nov 2025), including a proposed one‐year delay of high‐risk rules (Aug 2026→Aug 2027) and targeted simplifications that could exempt narrowly scoped administrative systems. Motivated by Big Tech and U.S. pressure, delays in technical standardization, and member‐state calls for clearer, less burdensome compliance, the proposals would give firms breathing room but prolong legal uncertainty. Consumers could face weaker protections, while global regulatory norms and investment dynamics risk shifting. Any postponement should be conditional and phased, preserving non‐negotiable safeguards—transparency, impact assessments and risk mitigation—while aligning rules with available standards and tooling.

EU member states are considering rolling back elements of the Artificial Intelligence Act under the Digital Omnibus initiative—postponing penalties until August 2, 2027, carving exemptions for “high‐risk” systems used in narrow/procedural roles, and creating a grace period for AI‐labeling. Driven by Big Tech pressure, U.S. trade concerns and competitiveness debates, the proposals aim to ease compliance but risk legal uncertainty, regulatory loopholes, weaker public protections and advantages for incumbents. Analysts warn such softening could erode the EU’s global regulatory influence. Safeguards should include clear definitions of “high‐risk” and “procedural,” independent transparency and audit metrics, layered enforcement that preserves core obligations, and interim guidance ahead of any delay. A decisive vote on November 19, 2025 will shape Europe’s—and the world’s—AI governance.

A leaked draft of the European Commission’s “Digital Omnibus” proposes major simplifications to the EU AI Act—delaying penalties until August 2, 2027, exempting some narrowly purposed systems from high‐risk registration, and phasing in AI‐generated content labels. Driven by industry lobbying, U.S. pressure, and regulatory fatigue, the draft has drawn warnings from EU lawmakers who fear weakened safeguards for democracy, rights, and safety. If adopted, the changes could shift investment and deployment timelines, complicate oversight of malicious uses, and prompt other jurisdictions to follow suit, potentially diluting global standards. Ambiguity over what counts as “high‐risk” creates a contested regulatory gray zone that may advantage incumbents and undermine AI safety and transparency ahead of the proposal’s Nov. 19, 2025 presentation.