France, Aug. 2 -- As major tech firms respond to the EU's new AI code, Europe is taking its first big step towards regulating powerful artificial intelligence systems.

The rules come into effect on Saturday, kicking off a voluntary compliance period for general purpose AI (GPAI) models - the systems behind tools like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.

The EU is one of the first regions in the world to set clear rules for how powerful AI systems should work.

The full AI Act is not expected before 2026, but the European Commission has released a Code of Practice to get companies working towards the new standards now.

The code is not legally binding, but it sets out clear expectations: explain how models work, be transparent about training dat...