European officials like to say that the bloc was first in the world to regulate artificial intelligence. It is true, and it is beginning to look like the wrong thing to be proud of.
The rules written in 2024 were drafted for a technology that has since changed shape twice. Much of the text addresses risks that did not materialize and is silent on ones that did. Companies comply with it as a matter of form, and the agencies meant to enforce it are still being staffed.
There is no prize for writing the first law. There is a considerable cost to writing one that has to be rewritten before it is enforced. The Commission's review next year is an opportunity to stop keeping score and start keeping up.
The Editorial Board is a contributing writer for The Continental Times Opinion section.