The EU AI Act: What Every EU Lawyer Needs to Know (and Say)
The EU AI Act is now in force. Parts of it already apply. And most lawyers are not ready to advise clients on it, or explain it clearly when it matters most.
This post covers the four things you need to understand about the world’s first comprehensive AI law. It follows our Sound Bites podcast Series 1, available on Spotify and YouTube.
The EU AI Act is already law
The EU AI Act entered into force on 1 August 2024. It does not apply all at once. Instead, it uses a phased rollout. The first prohibitions took effect on 2 February 2025. Rules for general-purpose AI models apply from 2 August 2025. The bulk of high-risk obligations follow on 2 August 2026.
The Act uses a risk-based approach, classifying AI systems into four categories: unacceptable risk, high risk, limited risk, and minimal risk. The higher the risk, the stricter the rules.