STM NEWSROOM
Stay True to the (AI) Act — Stay true to creativity and knowledge
A united cultural and scientific front is calling on EU policymakers to honour the intent of the AI Act and uphold the core principles that protect Europe’s creators, researchers, and rights holders. As implementation unfolds, there is growing concern that current drafts threaten to dilute the Act’s original safeguards—especially around transparency, consent, and enforceable rights….
Open consultation on EU strategy for AI in science
The EU Commission is seeking input on how to accelerate the uptake of AI in science—encouraging more researchers to use it as a tool while carefully managing its impact on the scientific process. The strategy will lay the groundwork for a European AI Research Council, envisioned as a “Resource for AI Science in Europe” (RAISE), aimed at…
EU COM launches consultation on scope of general-purpose AI model rules
As discussions continue on the Code of Practice, the EU COM has opened a consultation to define the scope of the definition of General-Purpose AI models and of the obligations falling on them. The stakeholder feedback will inform guidelines expected to be published in August 2025, defining concepts such as general-purpose AI models, placing on the market, downstream providers….
Lobbying intensifies on EU Code of Practice for General-Purpose AI
The Code of Practice outlining obligations for general-purpose AI providers was due to be finalised by 1 May. However, with both tech companies and rightsholders dissatisfied with the draft, the EU AI Office has postponed the adoption deadline to August 2025, citing a need to “prioritise extended feedback cycles as requested by all stakeholders.” A broad…
Webinar recap: Get ready for the European Accessibility Act
With the European Accessibility Act going into effect this June, it’s time to make sure you’re in compliance. Silverchair hosted a webinar exploring what publishers can do to prepare, illustrating that true accessibility is not just about compliance — it’s about creating content that can genuinely reach and serve all potential users. Catch the replay (and transcript) here.
EU Code of Practice for AI companies released as a watered-down draft
The third draft of the EU’s AI Code of Practice — the last one we’ll be able to provide feedback on before the final version is published by 1 May — is now available, and unfortunately, it has been severely weakened. All of the provisions were watered down and there are no new gains in this version,…
Meta sued for using copyrighted works for AI
Three French publishing organisations sued Meta last month, accusing the company of parasitically using their members’ copyrighted works without permission to train its generative AI models. This marks France’s first major AI copyright dispute, and it could set important legal precedents for both French and EU case law. The lawsuit, brought before the Paris Judicial Court by the Syndicat…
The future of the EU R&I Framework Programme is still uncertain
Research Commissioner Zaharieva, the EU Parliament and EU countries have all confirmed their support for a stand-alone Framework Programme 10 (FP10) with an increased budget. However, the decision of whether to continue with FP10 or incorporate the R&I grants in the new Competitiveness Compass Fund hasn’t been finalised. It may depend directly on EU Commission President Von der Leyen and her…
STM joins coalition of EU rightsholders to reject third draft of GPAI Code of Practice
STM has joined a coalition of authors, performers, publishers, and other rightsholders across Europe to raise significant concerns about the third draft of the EU AI Act’s GPAI Code of Practice. The current draft fails to meet the objectives of the AI Act and contravenes established EU copyright law. Rather than creating a strong foundation…
EU Parliament’s research committee asks for increased R&I budget
On 19 February, the ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) Committee voted with a strong majority on their position of the 10th Framework Programme. The EU Parliament is asking for a standalone FP10 with an increased budget of €200 billion and governance that is more expert-driven than top-down. The position mentions the need to balance openness and research security, the benefits…
UPCOMING EVENTS
Accessibility in STM publishing: addressing publisher challenges
From Image to Insight: Why Microscopy Metadata Are Key to Data Integrity webinar