Enforcement of the EU AI Act Begins, OpenAI and Anthropic Face Stricter Oversight

Huoxing Finance reports that on August 2, the European Commission gained new regulatory enforcement powers over AI, enabling it to assess AI models, restrict market access, and impose fines on companies developing general-purpose AI (GPAI) models, with U.S. AI firms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google becoming key targets. Under the implementation framework of the EU AI Act, the European Commission can require companies to submit model assessments before entering the European market and impose fines of up to €15 million or 3% of global annual turnover, whichever is higher, for violations. This new authority is seen as a significant step by the EU to advance “technological sovereignty” and may further intensify regulatory tensions between Europe and the United States. Previously, the EU fined Google $1 billion under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), prompting former U.S. President Trump to threaten imposing “substantial” tariffs on the EU. The EU AI Office stated that risks posed by advanced AI models are expanding, necessitating stronger oversight. Analysts note that even AI companies headquartered in the U.S. cannot evade EU regulation; non-EU AI service providers must also designate an authorized representative within the EU to serve as the regulatory contact point. Recently, the EU has intensified communication with companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic, focusing on safety risks associated with AI models. OpenAI has confirmed it is cooperating with the EU AI Office. Tom Gordon, Vice President of Policy for OpenAI in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, stated that the company will continue working with the European Commission and the broader industry ecosystem to support the implementation of the AI Act while promoting the development of artificial intelligence in Europe.