Meta Connect 2024 and EU AI Pact Decision

At the Meta Connect 2024 event, Meta unveiled the Meta Quest 3S, an affordable mixed reality headset priced at $299, featuring upgraded hardware and compatibility with Windows 11, alongside advancements in AI with the Llama 3.2 model. Meanwhile, Meta has decided not to immediately join the European Union’s voluntary AI Pact, which aims to help companies prepare for the comprehensive AI Act set to take effect in August 2026. Meta is focusing on compliance with the forthcoming AI Act, which requires detailed reporting on AI training data. Over a hundred companies, including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, have signed the AI Pact, which serves as an interim measure before the full implementation of the AI Act. Meta expressed support for the harmonized EU rules and indicated that it might join the AI Pact in the future. The AI Act will work alongside other significant EU legislation, such as the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, to regulate digital services and AI technologies.