Germany’s Merz to push for lighter EU AI rules, wants industrial AI exempted to boost productivity

Merz pushes to ease EU AI rules

It has been reported that Chancellor Friedrich Merz will press to trim the European Union’s “regulatory burden” on artificial intelligence and seek possible exemptions for industrial AI, arguing the rules should not stifle factory-floor innovation. Speaking at Hannover Messe, he framed the move as a push to boost productivity — Germany’s economic Achilles’ heel — and said overly strict rules could handicap manufacturers that use AI for optimisation and automation.

Tension with the AI Act and Brussels

The call puts Berlin at odds with the EU’s precautionary approach embodied in the AI Act, which is designed to safeguard safety and fundamental rights but also creates layers of compliance for high-risk systems. It has been reported that Merz wants a lighter-touch regime for AI used in industrial settings; supporters say that carve-outs could speed adoption and keep European industry competitive, while critics warn about loopholes that could undermine safeguards.

What’s at stake?

This isn’t just technocratic hair-splitting. It’s about jobs, global competitiveness and how Europe balances caution with the need to keep pace with the U.S. and China in AI deployment. Can regulators build a rulebook that protects people without putting a handbrake on productivity? Germany’s proposal sharpens that question — and the answer will matter for factories across Europe.

Sources: reuters.com