February 2026 – Artificial intelligence
is entering a decisive phase in Europe. Despite the EU's
ambitious AI Act framework, key guidance remains pending while
enforcement scrutiny intensifies and AI adoption accelerates.
1. EU AI Act: a strict framework struggling to keep
pace
While Europe's ambition to regulate AI is unquestioned,
recent developments signal that the legal framework is struggling
to keep pace with both the rapid evolution of the technology and
its own aspirations.
1.1. Missed Guidance and Growing
Uncertainty
The European Commission missed a key deadline on 2 February,
when it failed to publish a comprehensive list of use cases to help
businesses distinguish between high-risk and non-high-risk AI
systems.
