Meta and Spotify CEOs Slam EU's AI Regulation Efforts

Meta and Spotify are once again collaborating, this time focusing on open source (or more precisely, open-weight) AI, which both companies argue is stifled by current regulations. In joint statements released on their respective websites on Friday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek expressed concerns that EU privacy laws related to AI are hindering innovation. Meta highlights that it has been unable to train its AI models on public data from Facebook and Instagram because regulators have yet to establish clear guidelines on this issue.

“In the short term, the delay in utilizing data that is commonly used in other regions leads to powerful AI models that do not reflect Europe’s diverse knowledge, culture, and languages,” warns Meta’s blog post. The company emphasizes that this oversight means Europeans will miss out on the latest AI advancements and will instead rely on technologies “developed for someone else.”

The post also confirmed previous reports indicating that Meta will hold back its next multimodal AI model from customers within the European Union, due to regulatory ambiguities. Without clarity from regulators, Meta states it will not be able to launch upcoming AI models like LLaMA multimodal, which can understand images.

Spotify refers to its early investments in AI technology as a key factor behind its successful streaming service, which offers a personalized experience for each user. “As we look to the future of streaming, we see immense potential in open-source AI to enhance the industry. This is crucial for helping more artists gain exposure. A simplified regulatory framework would not only speed up the advancement of open-source AI but also support European developers and the broader creator ecosystem that thrives on these innovations,” its statement asserts.

Reading between the lines, it’s evident that Spotify aims to leverage Meta’s AI technology to enhance its offerings, but also finds itself hindered by the existing uncertainty around EU AI regulations.

Interestingly, both companies are not opposed to regulation when it serves their interests. They unite against a common foe: Apple, particularly regarding its App Store monopoly. EU regulators labeled the iPhone manufacturer as a Big Tech “gatekeeper” before requiring it to accommodate alternative app stores, distribution methods, and payment systems. Meta and Spotify did not criticize the regulations themselves but rather Apple’s response to them. In this instance, Zuckerberg joined Ek in denouncing Apple’s new business rules for EU developers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as so burdensome that they may deter developers from participation. Spotify labeled Apple's compliance strategy as “extortion” and a “complete and total farce.”

Meta and Spotify have a history of collaboration, previously working together on music initiatives that included a miniplayer on Facebook that streamed Spotify directly from the platform.