Meta won’t release its multimodal Llama AI model in the EU

Meta says it won’t beryllium launching its upcoming multimodal AI exemplary — susceptible of handling video, audio, images, and substance — successful the European Union, citing regulatory concerns. The determination volition forestall European companies from utilizing the multimodal exemplary contempt it being released nether an unfastened license.

“We volition merchandise a multimodal Llama exemplary implicit the coming months, but not successful the EU owed to the unpredictable quality of the European regulatory environment,” Meta spokesperson Kate McLaughlin said to The Verge. 

Just past week, the EU finalized compliance deadlines for AI companies nether its strict caller AI Act. Tech companies operating successful the EU volition mostly person until August 2026 to comply with rules astir copyright, transparency, and AI uses similar predictive policing.

Meta says its multimodal AI models volition beryllium utilized successful products similar the Meta Ray-Ban astute glasses. According to Axios, Meta’s EU snub volition besides widen to aboriginal multimodal AI exemplary releases, but excludes a larger, text-only mentation of the Llama 3 exemplary that Meta says will beryllium disposable for EU customers.

That inactive leaves a hard concern for companies extracurricular the EU who were hoping to supply products and services that usage these models, arsenic they’ll beryllium prevented from offering them successful 1 of the world’s largest economical markets.

The EU hasn’t commented connected Meta’s determination astatine the clip of writing. Apple’s determination to perchance restrict its AI deployment was blasted by the EU’s contention commissioner Margrethe Vesteger.