EU's talks on AI rules stall after nearly 24 hours of debate

After nearly 24 straight hours of negotiations, European Union (EU) representatives remain divided over a plan to adopt what would become the most comprehensive regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the western world.

Negotiators from the European Parliament and 27 member countries will resume their discussion Friday morning, EU internal markets chief Thierry Breton said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), as they try to resolve deep splits over issues including biometric surveillance.

Negotiators made some progress, including on a provisional deal on generative AI tools the kind capable of producing content on command. But it's unclear whether the negotiators will be able to agree on a draft, said people familiar with the situation, asking not to be identified because the information isn't public.

The contentious, around-the-clock meeting is arguably the most powerful example yet of the challenge that world leaders face in balancing the benefits of AI technologies with the need to firmly regulate them. It's a dilemma that has divided world leaders and tech executives alike as generative tools such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard continue explode in popularity.