EU AI Act Sets Global Governance Standard, Non-EU Firms Adopting

The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act is having a profound impact on global governance standards. According to an analysis by Thomson Reuters Foundation, almost half of companies that reference the law in their governance disclosures are headquartered outside the EU.

The research looked at 2,973 companies and over 100,000 governance data points, finding that 47% of organizations citing the AI Act are non-EU based. This suggests the legislation is becoming an international benchmark before its stricter rules take effect in August 2026.

The law applies to both EU-based and non-EU companies whose AI systems affect European users or are used within the EU. While adoption remains limited, with only 13% of companies maintaining formal AI governance frameworks, major compliance gaps persist ahead of enforcement.