The EU’s recent Digital Omnibus removes machinery and AI-powered safety components from the AI Act’s direct high-risk regulation, creating a two-year gap before AI-specific safeguards are incorporated into the Machinery Regulation by 2028. This legislative shift raises concerns about weakened worker protections, as manufacturers currently lack clear, legally binding AI safety requirements during the transition, and there is uncertainty about how existing AI Act safeguards will be fully maintained or enforced. The European Trade Union Confederation urges that simplification efforts must not come at the expense of robust safety standards, emphasizing that accountability for AI risks should remain with manufacturers, ensuring the highest level of worker safety amid rapid AI integration in machinery.
https://www.socialeurope.eu/simpler-ai-rules-must-not-mean-weaker-safety-for-europes-workers