OpenAI Anthropic signs EU AI code, setting new standards for AI compliance. Learn how this impacts your business and compliance strategy by Aug 2025.
OpenAI and Anthropic signs EU AI code represents a pivotal moment in artificial intelligence regulation, as two leading frontier AI companies commit to the European Union's voluntary General-Purpose AI Code of Practice. This initiative sets new standards for transparency, safety, and copyright compliance across the AI industry.
Industry Leaders Embrace EU AI Governance Framework
OpenAI, Anthropic signs EU AI code highlights a transformative shift in how major AI developers approach regulatory compliance. On July 21, 2025, Anthropic announced its intention to sign the EU's General-Purpose AI Code of Practice, followed by OpenAI's similar commitment. This voluntary framework, published by the European Commission on July 10, 2025, provides the first comprehensive compliance pathway under the EU AI Act.
The General-Purpose AI Code of Practice establishes crucial compliance areas: transparency requirements, copyright protections, and safety and security frameworks. For general-purpose AI models like ChatGPT and Claude, this represents the most detailed regulatory guidance available for meeting EU AI Act obligations, effective August 2, 2025.
Key benefits for companies that sign the Code include:
- Reduced administrative burden compared to alternative compliance methods
- Legal certainty through presumption of conformity with AI Act requirements
- Clear implementation guidelines for complex regulatory obligations
- Competitive advantage in European markets through demonstrated compliance
Understanding the GPAI Code of Practice Requirements
Transparency and Documentation Standards
The transparency chapter requires all general-purpose AI models to complete comprehensive documentation through a standardized Model Documentation Form. This includes technical specifications, training data characteristics, computational resources, and energy consumption metrics. For many AI developers, this represents the most stringent disclosure requirements they've encountered.
Nemko helps organizations navigate these transparency requirements by establishing robust AI governance frameworks that align with both EU standards and global practices, ensuring companies demonstrate compliance while boosting their competitiveness.
Copyright Compliance Framework
Copyright protections under the Code require AI model providers to implement policies respecting intellectual property rights. This includes honoring robots.txt protocols, preventing infringement with copyrighted content, and establishing complaint mechanisms for rightsholders. The European Commission's official guidance emphasizes these measures as key to maintaining trust in AI systems.
Safety and Security for Frontier Models
For frontier AI models requiring over 10²⁵ floating-point operations, additional safety and security requirements apply. These include governance structures with independent risk oversight, rigorous testing by qualified external evaluators, and state-of-the-art cybersecurity measures such as encryption and insider threat protections.
Currently, only 5-15 companies worldwide—including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Microsoft—fall under these enhanced requirements. However, this number is expected to grow as more organizations develop advanced AI capabilities.
Strategic Implications for AI Development
Regulatory Harmonization Across Jurisdictions
Major AI companies embracing the EU framework reflect a growing recognition that AI regulation requires coordinated global approaches. As Reuters reports, while signing the Code is voluntary, companies declining to participate won't benefit from the legal certainty provided to signatories.
This regulatory milestone aligns with broader AI governance trends, including NIST frameworks in the United States and similar initiatives across other jurisdictions. Investment in compliance capabilities for the European Union increasingly serves multiple regulatory regimes, making the Code a strategic foundation for global AI operations.
Business Impact and Competitive Positioning
Organizations developing or deploying general-purpose AI systems must evaluate their compliance readiness now. The Code establishes new benchmarks for AI safety, transparency, and accountability. These extend beyond legal requirements to become competitive differentiators.
Critical compliance areas requiring immediate attention include:
- Model documentation with detailed technical specifications
- Copyright complaint mechanisms and designated contact points
- Web-scraping policies honoring robots.txt protocols
- Risk assessment frameworks addressing systemic risks
- Incident reporting procedures with specified timelines
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the EU AI Code of Practice affect businesses using AI systems?
Businesses deploying AI systems developed by Code signatories benefit from enhanced legal certainty and compliance assurance. When AI providers follow the Code's requirements, downstream users can have greater confidence in the transparency, safety, and copyright compliance of their AI implementations. This reduces regulatory risk and supports more confident AI adoption across industries.
What happens if AI companies don't sign the GPAI Code of Practice?
Companies that don't sign the Code must demonstrate EU AI Act compliance through alternative methods, resulting in increased administrative burden and reduced legal certainty. Without the presumption of conformity that Code signatories enjoy, non-signatory companies face more complex compliance assessments and potentially greater regulatory scrutiny in European markets.
When do these new AI governance requirements take effect?
The EU AI Act obligations for general-purpose AI models begin August 2, 2025, with enforcement by the AI Office starting one year later for new models and two years later for existing models. Organizations must prepare compliance frameworks now to meet these rapidly approaching deadlines.
Navigate AI Compliance with Expert Guidance
The commitment by leading AI companies to sign the EU Code marks just the beginning of comprehensive AI governance evolution. As regulations continue developing across jurisdictions, organizations need expert guidance to navigate complex compliance landscapes while maximizing AI's transformative potential.
Nemko ensures your organization stays ahead of regulatory requirements through our comprehensive AI regulatory compliance services. Our global team provides practical frameworks for addressing transparency requirements, copyright protections, and safety standards across multiple jurisdictions.
We help organizations transform regulatory obligations into competitive advantages, ensuring responsible AI deployment that builds trust with stakeholders while accelerating innovation. Our proven methodologies align with emerging standards including the GPAI Code of Practice implementation guidance, providing practical roadmaps for compliance readiness.
Ready to strengthen your AI governance framework? Contact Nemko's experts today to assess your compliance readiness and develop strategic approaches that position your organization for success in the evolving AI regulatory landscape.
