European UnionRegulation (EU) 2024/1689 — Artificial Intelligence Act
{{ statusLabel }}At a glance: Most high-risk AI system obligations apply from 2 Aug 2026 — the key compliance milestone for any organisation providing or deploying AI in the EU market.
Summary
The EU Artificial Intelligence Act establishes the first comprehensive, horizontal legal framework for AI systems placed on the EU market. It applies a risk-based approach: unacceptable-risk practices are prohibited, high-risk systems face conformity assessment, documentation, and human-oversight obligations, and limited-risk systems carry transparency duties.
Obligations phase in over time. Prohibitions applied from 2 February 2025 and rules for general-purpose AI models from 2 August 2025. The majority of the Act — including most high-risk system obligations — applies from 2 August 2026, making this the key compliance milestone for providers and deployers operating in or selling into the EU.