Google, Microsoft, and others launch the Appia Foundation to help companies prove their AI systems meet regulatory standards across different regions.

What happened: Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and others have created the Appia Foundation to establish specifications that help enterprises demonstrate their AI applications comply with applicable standards and regulations. The Foundation has set up three layers of criteria—a Requirements and Guidance layer to clarify what is required, and an Assessment Enablement layer to show how those requirements are evaluated. The Foundation is hosted by the Linux Foundation's Joint Development Foundation and includes members such as Arm, Ericsson, Mastercard, Mitsubishi Electric, Omron, Schneider Electric, and Siemens.

Why it matters: AI regulation varies significantly by region, with the EU imposing stricter controls than the US. The Foundation aims to bridge the gap between broad international standards (set by bodies like ISO/IEC) and the practical compliance needs of organizations. By offering a modular framework to assess conformity, it helps enterprises navigate the complexity of proving their systems meet the different obligations that apply to them.

What to watch: The Foundation is not setting standards itself, but some of its criteria may become formal standards over time. It is also seeking to bring academics and government representatives into an advisory board to broaden its reach and credibility.