The EU AI Act is the European Union's law on artificial intelligence, which sorts AI uses by risk and sets stricter rules for the riskier ones.
In plain words
The law took effect in August 2024 and its rules apply in stages. Most AI, like spam filters, faces no new duties. Chatbots must tell people they are talking to a machine, and some AI content must be labelled. High-risk uses, such as hiring or medical software, face strict requirements. A few uses, like social scoring, are banned outright.
A quick example
A company outside Europe sells AI software that screens job applicants to EU employers. Because recruitment is high risk under the Act, the company must meet requirements such as risk controls, good-quality data, clear information for users and human oversight.
Where you'll meet it
- Any AI product sold or used in the EU.
- General-purpose models such as large language models.
Related
Sources
- DocsAI Act enters into force, European Commission · read 29 Sept 2026
- DocsAI Act: regulatory framework for AI, European Commission · read 29 Sept 2026
- DocsAI Act, Article 2: Scope, European Commission (AI Act Service Desk) · read 29 Sept 2026
Checked by WhatIsAI against the sources above · 29 Sept 2026. Spotted an error? Report it.