EU AI Act — Definition and Compliance Overview
The EU AI Act establishes risk-based legal requirements for AI systems in the EU. Learn the risk classification system, key obligations for high-risk AI, and compliance timeline.
The EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) is the European Union's comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence, establishing risk-based obligations for AI developers, deployers, and importers operating in the EU market.
The EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) is the world's first comprehensive legal framework specifically governing artificial intelligence. It entered into force on 1 August 2024, with most high-risk AI obligations applying from August 2026.
The Act applies to providers (developers), deployers, importers, and distributors of AI systems placed on the EU market or put into service in the EU, regardless of where the provider is established. This extraterritorial scope means non-EU companies serving EU customers must comply.
The Act uses a risk-based approach: the higher the potential harm from an AI system, the more stringent the obligations. Systems are classified as prohibited, high-risk, limited-risk (transparency obligations), or minimal-risk (no specific obligations).
High-Risk AI Classification
Annex III of the EU AI Act lists high-risk AI use cases including: biometric identification, critical infrastructure management, education (determining access or outcomes), employment (CV screening, monitoring), essential services (credit scoring, insurance risk), law enforcement, migration and border control, and administration of justice. High-risk AI systems face a full set of obligations including technical documentation (Article 11), data governance (Article 10), logging (Article 12), and conformity assessment (Article 43).
Article 12 — Logging Obligations
Article 12 requires high-risk AI systems that operate autonomously to be designed with automatic logging capabilities. Logs must capture the system's operation, enable post-incident traceability, and be retained for at least 6 months (or longer per applicable sector-specific regulation). These logging requirements directly correspond to decision logging and audit trail infrastructure.
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