Artificial Intelligence Act
Sets rules by risk level: some AI practices are banned, high-risk systems carry duties before and after they reach the market, and some systems must tell people they are dealing with AI.
- Supervision
- National market surveillance authorities; the AI Office at the Commission for general-purpose AI models
- Official text on EUR-Lex
- eur-lex.europa.eu · 32024R1689
- Rows compiled
- 2026-10-06 · 2026-10-06
Note: The Commission has proposed to postpone parts of the high-risk rules (Digital Omnibus, November 2025). Check EUR-Lex for any adopted amending act before relying on the 2026 and 2027 dates.
Obligations
| Who | Duty | Article | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providers and deployers | Take measures so that staff using AI systems have a sufficient level of AI literacy. | Art. 4 | 2025-02-02 |
| Everyone | Do not place on the market or use prohibited AI practices, such as social scoring or manipulative techniques that cause harm. | Art. 5 | 2025-02-02 |
| Providers of high-risk AI systems | Run a risk management and quality management system, keep technical documentation and logs, complete conformity assessment, affix CE marking and register the system. | Art. 16 | 2026-08-02 |
| Deployers of high-risk AI systems | Use the system according to the instructions, assign human oversight, monitor operation and keep logs. | Art. 26 | 2026-08-02 |
| Deployers that are public bodies or provide public services | Carry out a fundamental rights impact assessment before first use of certain high-risk systems. | Art. 27 | 2026-08-02 |
| Providers and deployers of certain AI systems | Tell people they are interacting with AI, mark synthetic content and disclose deepfakes. | Art. 50 | 2026-08-02 |
| Providers of general-purpose AI models | Keep technical documentation, give information to downstream providers, have a copyright policy and publish a summary of training content. | Art. 53 | 2025-08-02 |
| Providers of general-purpose AI models with systemic risk | Evaluate the model, assess and mitigate systemic risks, report serious incidents and ensure cybersecurity. | Art. 55 | 2025-08-02 |
Exemptions
| Who | Condition | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Military, defence and national security | AI systems used exclusively for these purposes are outside the regulation. | Art. 2(3) |
| Scientific research | AI systems and models developed and put into service solely for scientific research and development. | Art. 2(6) |
| Research and testing before market | Research, testing and development before a system is placed on the market, except testing in real-world conditions. | Art. 2(8) |
| Private individuals | Deployer obligations do not apply to natural persons using AI systems in a purely personal, non-professional activity. | Art. 2(10) |
| Free and open-source AI systems | Outside the regulation unless placed on the market as high-risk, prohibited or covered by Art. 50. | Art. 2(12) |
| Open-source general-purpose AI models | Exempt from some documentation duties, unless the model has systemic risk. | Art. 53(2) |
Fines
| Breach | Highest amount | Article | Imposed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prohibited AI practices | EUR 35 million or 7 % of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher | Art. 99(3) | Member State authorities |
| Other obligations of operators | EUR 15 million or 3 % of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher | Art. 99(4) | Member State authorities |
| Incorrect, incomplete or misleading information to authorities | EUR 7.5 million or 1 % of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher | Art. 99(5) | Member State authorities |
| SMEs and start-ups | The lower of the amount and the percentage in each tier | Art. 99(6) | Member State authorities |
| Providers of general-purpose AI models | EUR 15 million or 3 % of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher | Art. 101 | European Commission |
Dates
| Dates | Article | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-01 | Entry into force | Art. 113 |
| 2025-02-02 | Prohibited practices and AI literacy apply | Art. 113(a) |
| 2025-08-02 | General-purpose AI models, governance, notified bodies and penalties apply, except Commission fines under Art. 101 | Art. 113(b) |
| 2026-08-02 | Commission fines on providers of general-purpose AI models (Art. 101) apply | Art. 113(b) |
| 2026-08-02 | Most remaining rules apply, including high-risk systems listed in Annex III and transparency duties | Art. 113 |
| 2027-08-02 | High-risk rules apply to AI that is a safety component of products in Annex I | Art. 113(c) |
EU statistics this act touches
- Employment rate, ages 20 to 64 (Annex III, point 4): AI used for hiring, promotion or dismissal is high-risk under the AI Act.
- Unemployment rate (Annex III, point 4): AI used for hiring, promotion or dismissal is high-risk under the AI Act.
- Unemployment rate, monthly (Annex III, point 4): AI used for hiring, promotion or dismissal is high-risk under the AI Act.
- Youth unemployment rate, ages 15 to 24 (Annex III, point 4): AI used for hiring, promotion or dismissal is high-risk under the AI Act.
- Hourly labour cost (Annex III, point 4): AI used for hiring, promotion or dismissal is high-risk under the AI Act.
Obligations, exemptions, fines and dates in EU digital rules
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