The European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) is the world's first comprehensive legal framework on AI, a type of product regulation that establishes harmonised rules for the development and use of AI systems within the EU. Proposed by the European Commission on 21 April 2021, it was adopted by the European Council on 21 May 2024 and entered into force on 1 August 2024. The Act was created to foster trustworthy AI and address risks like a lack of transparency in AI decision-making, which could unfairly disadvantage citizens in areas such as hiring.
The Act works by applying a risk-based approach with four tiers: unacceptable, high, limited, and minimal risk. Systems posing an unacceptable risk, such as government-run social scoring or AI that manipulates people into harmful choices, are prohibited. High-risk AI systems, which include those used in critical infrastructure, education, and employment, face the strictest requirements, including conformity assessments and a CE marking. The Act also regulates General-Purpose AI (GPAI) models. It is part of a wider EU effort that includes the AI Innovation Package and is often compared to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for its potential global influence.
The Act has recently been subject to amendments, with the European Parliament approving changes on 16 June 2026 as part of the "Digital Omnibus". While the core risk-based architecture remains, the application deadlines for certain obligations were delayed. For instance, rules for stand-alone high-risk AI systems (Annex III) were postponed from 2 August 2026 to 2 December 2027. A new prohibition was also added against AI systems that generate non-consensual sexually explicit content, such as 'nudifier' applications, effective from 2 December 2026.