Companies outside the European Union are ramping up efforts to meet the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act standards. Nearly half of those mentioning the AI Act in governance reports are headquartered beyond Europe, signaling the law’s growing influence worldwide despite its full enforcement starting August 2026.
Research by Thomson Reuters Foundation analyzed nearly 3,000 companies and revealed only 13% have formal AI governance frameworks in place. US tech giants like Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and xAI are leading the charge by voluntarily adopting the EU’s AI Code of Practice, setting a precedent for others.
Compliance Gaps and Upcoming Demands
However, there’s a clear gap between adoption and compliance. Just 12.4% of firms currently require human oversight on AI-driven decisions. Less than a quarter assess AI’s impact on employee rights, requirements that will become mandatory for high-risk sectors such as hiring, credit, and healthcare under the incoming law. This shift means organizations globally must accelerate their preparations or face stricter enforcement soon.
The EU’s AI Act already acts as a global benchmark, extending its reach to any company whose AI affects European users, not just those within the bloc. This international ripple effect in AI governance challenges companies to rethink policies long before the law’s official rollout.
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