EU AI Act
EU AI Act Compliance for Small Teams
The EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) is the EU's binding AI law. Here's everything small teams need to understand: risk tiers, prohibited uses, obligations, and a practical compliance checklist you can start this week.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does the EU AI Act apply to non-EU companies?
- Yes. It covers providers that place AI systems on the EU market, and providers and deployers outside the EU whose AI system's output is used in the EU, regardless of where the company is based.
- When does the EU AI Act come into force?
- The Act entered into force on August 1, 2024. The bans on prohibited practices have applied since February 2, 2025 and the GPAI model rules since August 2, 2025. After the Digital Omnibus, the high-risk rules apply from December 2, 2027 for Annex III uses such as hiring and credit, and from August 2, 2028 for AI in products covered by Annex I.
- What is a 'high-risk' AI system under the Act?
- High-risk systems include AI used in hiring, credit scoring, education, critical infrastructure, biometrics, and law enforcement. Most small team tools like internal chatbots are lower risk.
- What should small teams do right now?
- Start with an AI inventory: list every AI tool your team uses, classify its risk level, and document your data practices. Every other obligation, from transparency notices to high-risk checks, starts from that list.