The 21 billion euro valuation for Mistral AI, while impressive, creates a single point of failure when trying to assess the AI Act's viability for everyone.
One company's success doesn't mean the whole system works, especially for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Belgium who can't just absorb huge compliance costs.
It's a weakest link in the argument to say this one example proves the regulation is fine.
Imagine a tiny startup trying to innovate, only to get snap-frozen by paperwork and legal fees that Mistral AI barely notices.
They might just go out of business or leave the EU, regardless of what one big player does.