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Sam Altman said on May 24, 2023, that OpenAI might stop operating in Europe if it could not comply with the EU’s proposed AI rules. Two days later, he clarified that OpenAI had no plans to leave. His first statement was conditional—not an announcement that the company had decided to withdraw.
What did Sam Altman say about leaving Europe?
At an event in London on May 24, 2023, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company might leave the European Union if the AI Act’s requirements proved impossible to meet. TIME reported his conditional formulation: “If we can comply, we will, and if we can’t, we’ll cease operating”. TIME’s report from May 24, 2023 captured the statement as a response to the proposed law, not a decision to close OpenAI’s European operations.
On May 26, Altman clarified the company’s position to Reuters: “We are excited to continue to operate here and of course have no plans to leave”. Reuters reported the clarification, reversing the impression created by the earlier remarks.
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Why was OpenAI concerned about the draft AI Act?
The EU AI Act was still being negotiated in May 2023. Altman objected to how the draft treated general-purpose AI systems and the possibility that systems such as ChatGPT and GPT-4 could be classified as high-risk and subject to additional requirements. Reuters reported that he viewed the draft as potentially over-regulating and suggested lawmakers could change the definition of general-purpose AI systems. TIME’s account also recorded Altman’s view that some compliance requirements could have technical limits.
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The dispute therefore involved both feasibility and scope: OpenAI questioned whether the requirements could be met and how broadly the draft might classify general-purpose systems as high-risk. Those were objections to the proposal as it stood at the time, not a description of the final law.
How did EU lawmakers respond?
Altman’s comments drew criticism from EU industry chief Thierry Breton and other lawmakers, according to Reuters. Individual lawmakers emphasized different aspects of the debate rather than expressing one uniform EU response.
- Dragos Tudorache, MEP: He defended transparency obligations, saying, “I don’t see a reason why any company would shy away from transparency.”
- Kim van Sparrentak, MEP: She argued that lawmakers should insist on company obligations for transparency, security, and environmental standards.
The contrast was between Altman’s concern that the draft could impose unworkable or overly broad requirements and lawmakers’ view that clear obligations—including transparency—were necessary. These reported remarks illustrate parts of the dispute, not a complete account of either side’s arguments. Reuters’ May 26 report covers the clarification and reactions.
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Did OpenAI leave Europe, and what happened to the law?
Altman said OpenAI had no plans to leave Europe on May 26, 2023. The law’s subsequent path should be distinguished from the draft he criticized: by its 2024 explainer, the Associated Press described the AI Act as having received final approval and as establishing a risk-based framework, with stricter requirements for high-risk uses and provisions covering general-purpose models. That later account provides context for how the proposal developed; it should not be read as establishing the law’s exact current enforcement status. The Associated Press’s 2024 explainer discusses the approved Act.
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