Meta Platforms has decided to postpone the launch of its newest artificial intelligence technology in the UK and the European Union, citing uncertainty surrounding regulatory conditions.

On Wednesday, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, introduced a range of updates to the company’s AI offerings. These include new smart glasses equipped with features that can remind users of their parked vehicles, as well as a digital assistant capable of responding in the voice of acclaimed actress Dame Judi Dench.

Despite these advancements, the AI technology will not be immediately accessible in Europe. Instead, it is set to launch first in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The delay in deploying Meta AI in Europe has been attributed to concerns about the types of data permissible for training their AI models.

This month, Meta, along with 58 other technology firms, issued an open letter to European leaders, warning that inconsistent AI regulations threaten to hinder Europe’s competitiveness in the global AI landscape. The letter emphasized that Europe is becoming less innovative compared to other regions.

Among the signatories were notable companies such as Ericsson, a Swedish telecommunications leader, and Spotify, a popular music streaming service.

Meta AI is anticipated to launch in the UK before it becomes available in other parts of Europe. The company is moving forward with plans to train its AI models using public content provided by adults on Facebook and Instagram in the UK, aiming for the technology to better reflect the nation’s cultural and historical context.

The Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK has raised questions regarding these plans. In response, Meta adjusted the user interface to allow individuals to more easily opt out of data processing within their account settings. In contrast, EU regulators have expressed that Meta’s plans do not comply with the region’s strict privacy and transparency regulations.

During the annual Connect conference in Menlo Park, California, Zuckerberg claimed that Meta AI, intended to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot, is likely the most utilized digital assistant globally, boasting over 400 million monthly users, despite its absence in Europe.

Meta is heavily investing in AI, banking on it to drive increased revenues from its suite of applications. At the conference, Zuckerberg also presented the first functioning prototype of augmented-reality glasses branded as Orion.

Following these announcements, Meta’s stock rose by $9.08, marking a 1.6 percent increase, with shares trading at $572.41 during mid-afternoon on Wall Street.