☰
HomeLiving Beyond BordersGZERO WorldSignalIn 60 SecondsPuppet RegimeGZERO World PodcastContact UsAbout UsCareersPrivacy PolicyTerms

Silicon Valley and Washington push back against Europe

February 25, 2025
Scott Nover
A picture of the US Capitol.
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Photo by Andy Feliciotti on Unsplash
On Thursday, Meta public policy director Chris Yiu told attendees at a tech event in Stockholm, Sweden, that the Meta AI-enabled Ray-Ban smart glasses have been slow to come out in Europe because of stringent regulations on the continent.

That display came after Meta and Google publicly criticized Europe’s new code of practice for general AI models, part of the EU’s AI Act earlier this month. Meta’s Joel Kaplan said that the rules impose “unworkable and technically infeasible requirements” on developers, while Google’s Kent Walker called them a “step in the wrong direction.”

On Feb. 11, US Vice President JD Vance told attendees at the AI Action Summit in Paris, France, that Europe should pursue regulations that don’t “strangle” the AI industry.

The overseas criticism from Washington and Silicon Valley may be having an impact. The European Commission recently withdrew its planned AI Liability Directive, designed to make tech companies pay for the harm caused by their AI systems. European official Henna Virkkunen said that the Commission is softening its rules not because of pressure from US officials, but rather to spur innovation and investment in Europe.

But these days, Washington and Silicon Valley are often speaking with the same voice.

More from GZERO Media

50 years after the Vietnam War

- YouTube

youtu.be

On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, two authors—Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen and historian Mai Elliott—with deeply personal ties to the Vietnam War, reflect on its lasting global impact and Vietnam's remarkable rise 50 years later.

Could Jordan Bardella become France’s youngest president?

Jordan Bardella, president of Rassemblement National or National Rally, gives a speech and flies French flags at a rally in support of Marine le Pen after her conviction on April 6, 2025.

Bastien Ohier/Hans Lucas via Reuters Connect

Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old president of France’s far-right National Rally, aka RN, has announced his readiness to run for the country’s presidency in 2027 if current party leader Marine Le Pen remains barred from contesting the race.

Funeral diplomacy: World leaders push for peace in Rome

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump meet while they attend the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican on April 26, 2025.
TPX Images via Reuters

At the Vatican on Saturday, US President Donald Trump sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a meeting the White House described as “very productive,” and which Zelensky said had the “potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.”

Is Donald Trump’s foreign policy … working?

President Donald Trump raises a fist during a ceremony where he signs two executive orders that will lead to reciprocal tariffs against other countries that charge tariffs on US goods.

Andrew Leyden/ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters

Barely three months in, President Trump has bashed America’s closest European allies, spooked NATO into worrying about its survival, taken a chainsaw to US foreign aid programs, pulled the rug out from under Ukraine, threatened to expand US territory for the first time since the 19th century, and started a global trade war that’s pushed protectionism to its highest levels since the Great Depression. That’s a lot for 100 days, and it seems chaotic, but there are a few basic aspects of Trump’s worldview and commitment to “America First” that are consistent and worth understanding.

50 Years on, have we learned the Vietnam War's lessons?

- YouTube

youtu.be

Fifty years after the fall of Saigon (or its liberation, depending on whom you ask), Vietnam has transformed from a war-torn battleground to one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies—and now finds itself caught between two superpowers. Ian Bremmer breaks down how Vietnam went from devastation in the wake of the Vietnam War to becoming a regional economic powerhouse.

About UsCareers PressContact Us Privacy PolicyTerms of Use
© 2020 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.