After three years of intensive consultation, theEU has agreed on the ground-breaking AI Act. The AI Act is intended to ensure that AI systems are trustworthy and safe, while also pushing Europe's innovation power. All parts of the law will apply from spring 2026. We have summarised the most important contents of the AI Act in a nutshell for you.
The AI Act categorises AI systems according to their risk potential in order to ensure the protection of health, safety and fundamental rights. The categorisation is based on four categories:
1. Unacceptable risk: prohibited AI systems such as social rating systems
2. High risk: systems with a significant impact on health, safety or fundamental rights, e.g. in critical infrastructure, education and law enforcement
3. Limited risk: systems with specific transparency requirements, e.g. chatbots
4. Minimal risk: Most AI systems that do not need to fulfil any additional requirements.
Similar to the GDPR, the AI Act also applies to systems that were developed outside the EU but are used or marketed within theEU.
Developers and users of AI systems must fulfil strict requirements. Non-compliance can result in high fines.
The law comes into full force 24 months after coming into force, with some provisions being introduced in stages.
National and European authorities will monitor compliance and ensure that the regulations are applied consistently.
The AI Act sets a global standard for AI regulation and promotes the ethical and responsible use of AI technologies. By striking a balance between innovation and protecting the public, the Act could serve as a model for future regulations worldwide. What is certain is that theAI Act will have an impact on a wide range of industries and areas of life and will drive sensitivity for AI horizontal across all sectors.
