The EU AI Act is the first comprehensive, horizontal regulation of artificial intelligence, entering into force in 2024 with obligations phased in over the following years.
It classifies AI systems into risk tiers — unacceptable risk (banned outright), high-risk (subject to strict obligations like conformity assessments and human oversight), limited risk (transparency obligations, e.g. disclosing AI-generated content), and minimal risk (largely unregulated). Obligations fall on both providers who build AI systems and deployers who use them, with penalties that can reach into the tens of millions of euros or a percentage of global turnover for the most serious violations.
AI risk tiers
European Commission
Regulation (EU) 2024/1689