13.07.2025

SAP and Siemens Call for a Restart of European AI Legislation

The large German corporations SAP and Siemens have advocated for a fundamental restart of European AI legislation. They want to create a modern framework that facilitates and promotes the use of artificial intelligence in Europe.

Criticism of the AI Act and Data Act

Christian Klein from SAP and Roland Busch from Siemens specifically criticize the AI Act and the Data Act of the EU. Busch describes the Data Act as “toxic for the development of digital business models” and criticizes contradictory regulations that make it difficult for European companies to fully launch in the AI sector.

Alternative Strategy to the US

In contrast to the American strategy, which heavily focuses on expanding infrastructure and data centers, Klein and Busch see the need for improvement primarily in access to data. Europe must leverage the potentials of existing data assets before infrastructure investments make sense.

Call for Substantial Changes

Both managers demand not merely a suspension of the current laws but a comprehensive redesign. This should help eliminate barriers to innovation and open up new opportunities for digital business models. At the same time, it would create more clarity in the regulatory environment for AI applications in Europe.

In summary, the demand from SAP and Siemens has far-reaching implications for investors and companies, but it also signals uncertainties regarding future legal frameworks for AI.

These demands were articulated publicly in an article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Topic Position of SAP & Siemens
AI Act Critical; hinders innovations
Data Act “Toxic” for digital business models
US Infrastructure Model Not simply copy; focus is not on data centers
Priority First change data rules instead of expanding infrastructure
Goal Substantial redesign of the European AI legal framework