What is the EU AI Act? ＋
The EU AI Act is the world's first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence. It entered into force on 1 August 2024 and applies to all AI systems placed on the market or put into service in the EU, regardless of where the provider is established.
When does the EU AI Act fully apply? ＋
The EU AI Act fully applies from 2 August 2026. However, there are staggered timelines: prohibitions on certain AI practices and AI literacy obligations have applied since 2 February 2025; rules on general-purpose AI (GPAI) models since 2 August 2025.
Which companies are affected by the EU AI Act? ＋
All companies that develop, place on the market or operate AI systems in the EU are affected – regardless of where they are established. Non-EU companies are also subject to the AI Act if their AI systems are used within the EU.
What are high-risk AI systems under the EU AI Act? ＋
High-risk AI systems are AI applications in sensitive areas such as education, employment, credit scoring, law enforcement, biometrics or critical infrastructure. They are listed in Annex III and are subject to strict requirements on risk management, documentation, transparency and human oversight.
What AI practices are prohibited under the EU AI Act? ＋
Prohibited practices include AI systems for subliminal manipulation, social scoring by public authorities, real-time biometric identification in public spaces (with narrow exceptions), and AI that exploits vulnerabilities of specific groups of people.
What are the fines for violating the EU AI Act? ＋
Violations of prohibited AI practices can result in fines of up to €35 million or 7% of global annual turnover. Other serious violations face fines of up to €15 million or 3% of annual turnover. Lower caps apply to SMEs.
What is the difference between a provider and a deployer under the EU AI Act? ＋
A provider is a natural or legal person that develops and places an AI system on the market. A deployer uses an AI system in their own context. Providers bear primary responsibility for compliance; deployers have their own obligations, particularly when using high-risk AI systems.
What is the AI literacy obligation under Article 4 of the EU AI Act? ＋
Since 2 February 2025, providers and deployers of AI systems must ensure their staff have sufficient AI literacy. This means that employees who develop or use AI systems must be appropriately trained and qualified.
What are general-purpose AI models (GPAI)? ＋
GPAI models are large AI models such as GPT-4 or Gemini that can be used for a wide range of tasks. Since 2 August 2025 they are subject to specific transparency and documentation obligations. Models with systemic risk face additional requirements.
Does my chatbot need to comply with the EU AI Act? ＋
It depends on the risk classification. Simple chatbots generally fall into the "limited risk" category and are mainly subject to transparency obligations – users must be able to recognise that they are interacting with an AI system. Chatbots in high-risk areas such as medical advice are subject to stricter requirements.