Europe Puts Stake in the Ground With First Pact to Regulate AI

Earlier this week, European negotiators sat in a conference room in Brussels and debated for nearly 24 straight hours — dozing off at times and working a self-service coffee machine so hard that it broke.

They came with a singular mission: reaching an agreement to regulate artificial intelligence. And they didn’t quite get there. But the EU’s internal market chief, Thierry Breton, didn’t want a long break over the weekend that would give lobbyists more time to weigh in, according to people familiar with the matter.

It took yet another round of intense bargaining on Friday, curtains drawn and ...